


Blindsighted

by miszxbrii



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-01-19
Updated: 2012-06-15
Packaged: 2017-10-24 12:50:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 118,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miszxbrii/pseuds/miszxbrii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Music was Grimmjow's life, but he never thought it would help another person in need. He never thought that one person would change how he lived or how he even saw the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Beep. Beep. Beep_

A groan came from the heavily covered bed. Cold; it was far too cold to **want** to move from the heating of all the blankets. The room was dark, curtains closing off the unknown condition of outside.

_Beep. Beep. Beep_

A hand reached out from under the covers and slapped against the side table, a voice hissing at how cold it was. The five-fingered appendage felt for the annoying sound coming from the alarm clock. Moving it around, it knocked over a dark blue cell phone, making it hit the carpet with a soft thud. The hand managed to blindly find the beeping offender and silence it.

It slipped back into the covers, delighted that it was warmed instantly. The figure in the bed moved about, turning over, trying to get comfortable again. It finally settled and tried to drift back into dreamland, but the blaring from the floor below interrupted that. The figure growled in between the third ring and threw the covers off, too angry to feel the coldness circle around it and caress the unclothed skin, the skin prickling and goose bumps forming.

The figure reached down to the floor below, feeling for the communication device and gripped it, pulling it up and pressing a button to connect the figure to whoever was on the other line.

"…Hello," the figure gruffly spoke, yawning for good measure.

"Were you asleep, kitty?" 'Kitty' groaned at the voice on the other end and made his way out of the bed and into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom.

"Yeah, what ya want?" 'Kitty' stood in front of his mirror, staring at the copy that was staring back at him. Dull, dodger blue locks in a chaos stood atop a wheat colored face. Bold and strong cerulean orbs with dark circles stared back as it trailed his eyes down the torso clothed in a three-button, long-sleeved thermal, skin only showing through the undone buttons at the top.

"It's 3, you still coming over?" The blunet frowned. All he wanted to do was pass back out on his bed, maybe grab some grub, and then sleep for the remainder of the night. "Grimm?"

"Yeah, yeah I'll be over in a bit."

"K, love ya'." He grimaced at the sickly sweet voice coming from the other line. He hated that word so much. He hated having to pretend to be… _in love_.

"Yeah…you too." Hanging up the phone, he set it down on the counter. Staring into the mirror, he willed himself to get ready and go.

* * *

It was Winter; chilly and freezing cold. Grimm, or Grimmjow as it was his full name, could see his own breath right in front of his face. The snow was descending from the gloomy heavens and it practically mimicked how Grimmjow was feeling - tired, dull and descending.

Life was not as good as it could be for the blunet and it showed on his face. Money was tight and every time he opened his door or answered his phone, someone was trying to get something out of him. His mother had passed away only a few weeks before and there was always some new expense that had to be paid.

It wasn't a good situation for a lowly club pianist, who really didn't have too many pennies to his name, but it was for his mother and he refused to let anyone else take care of it. He was glad he still had a job to even pay for his necessities, but sometimes he felt like the world was just digging their hands into his pitiful excuse of a piggy bank.

Grimmjow sighed as he pulled his bomber jacket tight around him. Walking in this weather wasn't a smart choice, but since his car was in the shop it was the only logical thing to do. Buses were an option, but he hated having to sit on one as the lot of passengers always stared at his unnaturally natural blue hair.

Children would come up to him, asking if his hair was made of blueberry cotton candy and elderly women always asked was he in his right mind when he dyed his hair that outrageously bright color. It got to be annoying after a while and he vowed never to step foot on a bus, unless it was a serious emergency.

He looked down at his feet, watching his snow covered black Timberland boots as they hit the ground below. He couldn't wait to get into a warm and cozy house and away from the chill. When Luppi had called him he had hoped it was to cancel their "alone time", but he guessed that was too good to be true.

The petite man would never pass up a chance to spend time with his beloved boyfriend. Grimmjow grimaced at how long he had actually been with Luppi. He couldn't believe how he dealt with the whiny feminine man for so long. Three years. Three long and stressful years. He didn't have the energy to break up with the smaller male, but he did feel bad for just leading him on.

As he made his way down the sidewalk, he caught sight of the liquor store he ventured to more than he was willing to admit. He thought that maybe he should buy some beer before heading over. Luppi didn't like when he drank, but he needed it to keep himself from thinking about the depressing parts of his life.

He groaned as he made his way into the store, feeling the warmth from the small heater on the ground at the side of the door.

"Hey, Starrk," Grimmjow spoke as he made his way to the back where the cold beers were held. He'd known Starrk since he was a teenager and they never broke off their friendship.

Starrk was laying his head over his crossed arms, pretending to sleep. He wished he could really close the shop so he could go home and sleep, but he had to pay the bills. Starrk grunted a hello when he heard his long time friend Grimmjow speak to him.

He watched as the blue haired man walked up to the counter and set down the six-pack of beer and the money to pay for it. Grimmjow chuckled when Starrk didn't even make a move to grab the money. "Starrk, you should really just go home. I doubt if anyone else will come in here. It looks like a fuckin' storm is coming."

"Yeah…you're probably right," Starrk said between yawning. He handed him a bag to put his purchase in and grunted a goodbye to Grimmjow. Taking his bag, Grimmjow waved towards the curly, brown haired man and stepped back out into the cold.

He shuddered and made his way back down the sidewalk, turning the corner and jogging across the slightly empty street to the opposite side. He passed by a couple of girls, bundled up in matching hats and scarves, giggling to each other. Making it closer to Luppi's place, he didn't pay attention and bumped into a shorter male, dropping his bag to the ground below.

"Hey, watch where you're goin', punk!" Grimmjow grumbled as he picked up his bag, hoping none of his beers had burst.

"You saw me walking here!" The voice was hoarse and sounded almost like it was being strained.

"And you saw me-" When Grimmjow rose to his full height, he looked down at the man that bumped into him and frowned. He saw eyes that were milky white and looking straight through him. _Blind?_ Grimmjow's rage began to die in his chest and he wasn't exactly sure what to say. He looked down to his feet to see a long walking stick poking at the front of his boot.

_I guess he didn't see me._ Grimmjow looked back up at the face that was scowling in his direction. He was speechless, trying to figure out exactly what to say.

"I mean, uh, just be careful next time." The man's scowl deepened at the sympathy in the voice and turned around to continue his walk to where ever his destination was. Grimmjow listened as the walking stick clacked against the concrete path and disappeared after a while.

Grimmjow wasn't sure why he was still standing there looking in the direction that man was going, but something pulled at the strings of his heart, like when he found out his mother was sick. Swallowing, the blunet turned on his heel and continued on his way to Luppi's house, the blind, scowling, orange haired man still on his mind.

* * *

"Grimmmm, what took you so longggg? I've been worried sick." Luppi watched as his boyfriend came into the living room, his jacket and boots still on. He scrunched up his face in distaste and made his way over to help the blue haired man. Grimmjow had plopped down on the couch and placed the bag of beer on the coffee table, ignoring Luppi as the smaller man started pulling off his jacket.

He bent over and took off the man's shoes and threw them over to the side before standing at his normal 5'3 height and looking at Grimmjow on the couch. "Did you want something to drink? I have coffee brewing." Grimmjow grunted a yes and Luppi made his way back over to the kitchen. As he started to fiddle with the coffee maker he decided to start a conversation.

"So Grimm, what took you so long? It usually takes you only ten minutes to get here."

"Stopped by the liquor store." Grimmjow leaned back against the couch and shut his eyes. He felt one of his headaches coming on; something that had become the norm after his mother's passing. He rubbed at his temples and groaned at the discomfort.

"Is that all? It still took too long." Luppi's whiny voice was driving him crazy. He just wanted some peace and quiet for ten minutes.

"Bumped into someone on the way over. A blind guy."

"Eww, seriously? Did he even apologize?"

Grimmjow frowned, before replying. "Didn't have to. It was kind of my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Luppi came walking into the living room and sat on Grimmjow's lap, making the man gradually open his eyes. "He ran into you. if he wasn't blind, he could have seen you and it wouldn't have happened. I can't believe some people sometimes," Luppi said as he handed Grimmjow the cup of coffee.

Grimmjow's eyes flashed and he felt anger at what Luppi was implying. "So…you're saying it was his fault because he's blind?" The petite man scoffed as he rose from Grimmjow's lap.

"Of course! That kind of handicapped person isn't meant to live in this world." Grimmjow set the cup of coffee on the table in front of him and glared up at the small black haired man.

"Why are you always so fuckin' rude, Luppi?"

"What! I am not. I am just saying what everybody thinks."

"Everyone _isn't_ thinking that."

"They are too. Everyone can't be as perfect as me and people always think the world would be better off without them." Luppi began to speak foully about all sorts of people and Grimmjow could feel his blood boiling. He wasn't the nicest guy around, but saying handicapped people aren't meant to live had to be the cruelest thing anyone could say. "Don't you agree, Grimmjow?"

"Hell no!" Grimmjow's head throbbed with so much pain that his vision was blurry. He gripped his temples, massaging them. "Why the hell would I even think that!"

"Grimm? Are you okay?" Luppi came rushing over to tend to Grimmjow, when the bigger man pushed him away.

"Don't you dare touch me." He chuckled to himself. "I'm sick of this shit, always ignoring your deceitful ways and impertinent attitude. I can't believe I dealt with it for three fucking years."

"Grimm-"

"That…that had to be the most fucked up shit you have ever said." Grimmjow rose from his seat on the couch, swaying a little at the throbbing pain, getting strong and stronger. Nausea was forming and he grunted in discomfort, but was able to make it over to where his shoes were laying and slip them on, not worrying about the shoelaces.

"Grimm, what are you doing?" The blue haired man ignored Luppi to grab his jacket and put it on. He had to get out of there before he passed out on the man's floor.

"I'm leaving. What the fuck does it look like?" Grimmjow reached into his pocket, pulling out a small purple key and dropped it on the floor. "There's your key. I won't be needing it anymore."

"Grimm! Come back here!" Grimmjow made his way to the front door, leaning against the wall to keep himself upright.

"Fuck you, Luppi. This shit between us is fuckin' over." He threw the door open and stomped his way out. He felt great about what he had just said, but the twinge in his head didn't subside. He made his way back towards his apartment, swaying as his ability to see became worse. He needed to get something to ease his pain before he fell face-forward into the snow.

After walking for about five minutes, he saw a blurry brown shape that looked almost like a bench and he made his way over, falling onto it. He sighed when his vision started to become normal again. Obviously it was bad for him to move at the moment. He lay there, staring out into the street, watching cars slowly drive by.

"Maybe I should call someone to pick me up," Grimmjow mumbled to himself. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He pressed and held a random number, hoping it was programmed for speed-dial. He put the phone to his ear, listening to the ringing. He could see his hand shaking and sighed to himself.

"Aahhh, Nnoi!" Grimmjow grimaced and pulled the speaker away from his ear. He hated when his best friend answered the phone while he was screwing. After he was sure there wouldn't be any more screaming, he put the cell phone back to his ear.

"What da' fuck, alley cat!" Grimmjow would have chuckled at the frustration in Nnoitra's voice if he hadn't been in agony at the moment. "What th' hell do ya' want, man? Can't cha see I'm busy?" He slammed into whoever was below him to prove a point, making the voice moan quietly.

"Sorry man, but I need a ride." The line was silent for a moment before Nnoitra spoke more seriously.

"Headaches?"

"Yeah, bad as hell."

"Where ya' at?"

"A few blocks away from Luppi's, laying across a bench."

"I'll be there in a bit." The line went dead and Grimmjow slipped his phone back into his pocket. A few elderly ladies walked by and asked if he needed any help. He declined and they went on their way, but not before double-checking that he was all right. It had been ten minutes and Grimmjow was wondering where the hell that stick of a man was. He watched as people passed him by, looking his way to make sure he wasn't doing something suspicious.

"Mister?" He looked up to see a little girl looking down at him. She was carrying a few bags of groceries and her body was covered in a pink winter coat, her brown hair hiding under a hat that was colored a darker shade of pink. He noticed she had big brown doe eyes.

"What ya want, kid?"

"Are you okay? You look like you're in pain," the small girl asked.

"…'m fine. Haven't your parents ever told you not to talk to strangers?"

"I…don't have any parents," she looked down at her feet, "but my brother always said to help those in need." Grimmjow looked down away from her eyes and sighed. He couldn't believe he looked so pathetic that even an unknown little girl was worried about him.

"You wanna' help me? Then get me some damn aspirin!" The girl flinched and frowned. She wasn't sure if she should say anymore, but she did anyway.

"Sorry, sir, I-I didn't mean to-"

"Look, kid, I'm sorry I snapped. I'm just having a really bad headache and it's making me a little testy."

"Migraines?"

"Yeah."

"My brother gets them a lot too. Uhm, if you don't mind me saying, I can give you some tips on helping them." Grimmjow looked back up at her and waited for her to speak. He would try anything if it could get rid of his headaches for a while. "Well, you can try peppermint oil or tea, which usually helps my brother. I fix him a lot of different foods, but if you can't cook, than peppermint tea usually works. Fish works too, but it has to be tuna or trout and spinach works as well."

He frowned at the list of food. He loved fish, so that was a good thing to try, but he didn't even buy peppermint or any other kind of tea. He despised tea. "Thanks kid…" She smiled down at him before reaching in her grocery bag and pulling out a small white ceramic cup wrapped in cellophane. She stepped closer to the bench and placed the cup down next to Grimmjow. He frowned at it, before looking up at her.

"It's peppermint tea. I figured you might not buy some, so…Don't worry about me though, I bought a whole pack. I hope it helps you." She waved and went on her way, leaving Grimmjow to stare after her in bewilderment. He looked back down at the cup. He never understood why there weren't more people like her.

He sighed again. He guessed he could try the tea, even if he really hated it. He wanted to stay away from his prescription drugs as much as possible. He didn't need to start getting addicted to them, just because they relieved the pain. "GRIMMJOW!" Said man winced when he heard his name being yelled. He looked up to see Nnoitra standing across the street next to his car.

"Finally," he mumbled to himself. Raising himself off of the bench, he groaned at the feel of the headache coming back. He grabbed the cup, slipped it in his jacket and made his way to the car, hoping his pain would stop.

* * *

"Alright, ya' big blue cat." Nnoitra pushed Grimmjow onto his couch after finally being able to get the blunet home. He was glad that he got here before the snow started falling harder and hoped he would be able to get back home to his little blond waiting for him. "You gon' be okay by ya'self?"

Grimmjow lay across his couch, his eyes tightly shut, trying to will away the throbbing in his head. He didn't even seem to be aware that Nnoitra was staring at him with a frown. "I think I'll manage."

After Nnoitra made sure Grimmjow was okay, he left. Grimmjow lay on his couch staring at his TV. He grabbed the remote from the table and clicked the ON button, before throwing the remote back. He figured he could be lazy for a few hours before he had to go to work. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and set it down in the coffee table. He slipped his hand back into his pocket and pulled out the small cup of peppermint tea. He stared at it for a minute before rising from the couch and making his way over to the kitchen.

He set the tea down and grabbed a light blue mug with a cat face on the front from his cabinet, pulling it down and placing it next to the ceramic tea holder. He went through his other cabinet, looking for a teapot that had belonged to his mother and pulled it down. He never knew how to make tea, but if it was anything like coffee he could manage.

After getting frustrated for a while, he was finally able to make him a cup of steaming hot peppermint tea. He sat at his kitchen table, the TV sounds in the background. He raised the cup to his nose and smelled the spicy aroma of the tea and immediately remembered the same smell from the man he had bumped into earlier that day.

That fiery tangerine hair with light streaks of lemon and spots of white snow in it. That peachy skin, that looked smooth to the touch. That prominent scowl that made him look like he was angry at the world, those eyes, those bright milky white eyes that only saw darkness, and that smell. That strong smell of spicy, but delicious peppermint with an undertone of chocolate.

He had never liked when people mixed chocolate and mint together, but it worked on the orange haired man. Grimmjow sighed as he took another sip of tea. He was free from Luppi and his whiny voice and he encountered that fiery blind man. To top it all off, it seemed his headaches were subsiding. He grinned to himself. The day had started awful, but it finally turned into something decent.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a song selection in this chapter the you may want to listen to, but it is not required. All music I have chose for this fiction is based off of the feelings of the story.

The quiet, almost unnoticeable chatter filled the dimly light club. Dark woods, deep red colored booth chairs surrounding black granite tabletops. Silver tinned ceiling and leathered bound walls. Grimmjow had never thought this place would be where he would spend most of his nights, but it seemed that was the case. _Dangai Lounge Club_. The place wasn't widely known, but it was popular. It catered to young entrepreneurs trying to impress clients, hard-working businessman tired after a long day of work, young and old women who were looking for a classy man to court them and on the occasion, music lovers and people who were on their last leg and needed a good drink.

 _Dangai_ was for everyone and no one all the same. Grimmjow thought he fit in well with the swing of various people. The first time he set foot in the club, he had been dragged there by Nnoitra and Ulquiorra, his other good friend. It had been one of the worst days of his life. After working at a job he had been at for two years, he had been fired. It was lucky that he had stepped foot in that club that day.

Their club pianist had walked out because of an altercation and they needed a stand in, which made Nnoitra jump at the chance of putting Grimmjow on the spot. Grimmjow protested, but in the end played like it was nobody's business and instantly got the job.

Music had always been something that he loved more than life itself. His mother would always find him sitting in his room, with headphones over his ears and his face always in some kind of music book. It wasn't just mainstream music, no. He would listen to unknown r&b, soul and jazz musicians, violinists, saxophonists and pianists. He had started looking into wanting to play an instrument and create his own music.

It was hard for him to focus at first, but the more he listened to the blow of the saxophone and the strumming of violins, it made him want to try that much harder. He asked his mother if he could learn how to play the piano and from there he worked as hard as he could to get better and better at it. At the age of eight he was considered a piano prodigy. Playing was second nature to him and it seemed easier then learning how to write or spell.

He was learning the hardest kind of sheet music by the age of eleven without breaking a sweat. He started to write his own music at the age of fourteen, trying to compose new melodies to challenge himself even more than before. When his mother heard him for the first time, she couldn't believe her ears. She entered him in contests, had him play at local events and even went as far as having him play in pageants. He didn't care much for them though. Most of them always had snobbish kids with upturned noses and more money than they knew what to do with.

Of course he won trophies and awards and was featured in newspapers, and magazines, but he didn't care about all that. He just wanted to play music and enjoy the harmony of it. After hearing him so much and loving the way her child smiled after playing his music, Grimmjow's mother spent a good amount of money to buy her son his own piano. It wasn't a grand piano like the kind Grimmjow's eyes always sparkled for, but it was still something he would never regret having.

It was something that he cherished for a very long time. Sometimes he wished he would have kept it to remember how much his mother loved to listen to him play and he would keep playing just for her.

He stepped into the club around 6:15pm. The snow had yet to stop falling outside, but people were still sitting in those booths and chairs, conversing and enjoying the calm, romantic scene of the club.

Grimmjow sighed as he made his way to the back of the club where he usually had got ready. He wondered if his asshole of a boss was in that day. He didn't need him trying to tell him how to work his music or how to play the piano as he had been doing for the past 3½ years.

He slipped off his jacket, shaking the snow from it and hung it in his locker. He was so glad that his headaches had not come back during the time he was at home. He had had another cup of peppermint tea to sooth his mind before stepping out into the cold weather. He wished he could thank that little girl again for being a complete saint and helping him in the first place.

If it wasn't for her, he probably wouldn't even be able to work that evening without drugs in his system. He pulled his cell phone out of his pants pocket and slipped it into his coat before closing the locker door. He made his way out to the front of the club and gazed at how many people were already there. He didn't go on for an hour so he had enough time to chill and maybe grab something to eat.

He made his way over to the bar and sat on the stool at the counter. The bartender came over and he grunted a hello to him. "Grimmjow, how are you this evening?"

"I'm doing fine, Shunsui. Do you think I can get something to eat?"

"Absolutely! Anything specific that you want my little Nanao to cook you?"

"Whatever she feels like whipping up in a quick minute. I don't want anything extravagant." Shunsui smirked before making his way over to the cook's window.

"My Nanao always makes things extravagant! Isn't that right, my dear?"

"Silence, Shunsui!" a womanly voice came from the other side of the wall. Grimmjow chuckled as he listened to them bantering back and forth. No one would have ever guessed that those two were happily married for ten years. He turned around and looked out at the rest of the club. It seemed there were a lot of ladies there that night, which was a little unusual, but he didn't seem to mind. He was glad the women there didn't jump on him as if he was some pop music star. He enjoyed the subtle touches, even if he was gay.

He did like women once upon a time, but it seemed that boat had sailed somewhere far away. Women did nothing for him now and he took it all in stride. Luppi was actually the only boyfriend he had throughout his homosexual awareness. He had checked out other guys throughout that time, but he never had the energy to pursue them, with having to deal with the petite man. He was glad he nipped that relationship in the bud finally and now maybe he could pursue someone new.

"Here you go." Grimmjow looked over his shoulder to see Shunsui placing a plate of food on the bar. He set down a bottle of water as well.

"Uh, Shunsui, do we have any peppermint tea?" The tall brown-skinned man looked at him funny. He knew of Grimmjow's hatred for tea. "It's for my headaches." Shunsui ignored his thoughts and went to see if there was any tea in stock in the club. Grimmjow sat there picking at his French fries before he actually put one in his mouth. He wondered what kind of music he should play for the night. He usually received a list of requests before he went on, but he needed a large variety of music to play to pass the time. 3½ hours on and off of playing was still a very long time. He smiled to himself. He was still glad that he got to play though, whether it was for three hours or even a lifetime.

* * *

"Renji!" An orange haired man stood in the hallway of his home, trying to listen for his long time friend and roommate. He couldn't believe he felt so panicked and confused in his own personal surroundings. Everything was so frustrating and he didn't think he would ever get used to seeing nothing but darkness. "RENJI!" His body shook at the thought of no one else around and him being abandoned without a way to see.

He never felt so pathetic in his life. It had only been eight months since he lost his eyesight from an unfortunate accident. It haunted him and he tried to keep his mind off of what happened. All he knew was that he was blind and the doctors said he may not be able to see again.

"Ichi, chill, I'm here, I'm here."

"Where were you!"

"I was getting your jacket. How can you be so disoriented in here when you were fine earlier today, walking around by yourself?" Ichigo reached out for the red haired man, trying to feel for him when he felt a hand clasp his. He sighed in relief and made his way closer to his friend.

"I don't know," Ichigo whispered. "This is all so new to me. Sometimes I'm fine and other times I just feel…I don't know."

"Lost?" Ichigo nodded as he stared in the direction of Renji's voice. He missed the red head's face already. He missed that smug look he always had, the long red hair, the prominent black tribal tattoos and those russet colored eyes. He hated that he wasn't able to see. "Don't worry about it. I'm here for you and so are your sisters."

Ichigo frowned. _That really isn't comforting._ "Uhm, where are we going anyway?"

"Rukia told me about a place that you might like. I thought we would go there tonight."

"What kind of place?"

"A club." Renji tried to help Ichigo put his jacket on, but the man snatched it from him.

"I can do it myself! I'm not handicapped!" Ichigo grumbled to himself as he put on his jacket. He hated having to have people help him with normal everyday things.

"Ichi…" The orange haired man ignored his friend. "Ichi it's…"

"It's what, Renji?" He continued to slip his hands into the sleeves of the jacket, scowling when it felt awkward.

"It's on…backwards." Renji watched as Ichigo flinched at the words and the red head frowned. "Let me just help you a little."

"I don't want any help, Renji! I just want my damn eyesight back!" Ichigo began to fiddle with the sleeves, trying to pull the jacket off and threw it to the floor. "I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay home, okay?" He turned away from Renji and reached his hand out to feel for the wall. He hoped he was going the right way and frowned when he couldn't figure out where he was.

He felt a hand in his and let it guide him to his bedroom. His brows creased in frustration and he felt like some little child. "Ichigo, I know this is hard, but you aren't meant to go through it alone. Don't go yelling at Yuzu because she keeps showing you where things are. Don't ignore Karin because she's so sarcastic about everything, just let us help you."

"What about you, Renji? Can I yell at you?" Renji just chuckled as they made it into Ichigo's bedroom. He sat the smaller man down on the bed and watched as he crawled up to where the pillows were located.

"Yeah, you can yell at me all you want." Ichigo smiled as he laid his head down on the pillow. "Just get some rest, okay?"

"Okay." Ichigo laid there for a moment before speaking again. "Renji?" He was surprised to hear the man respond to him. "We can go to the club tomorrow. What kind of club is it anyway?"

"A lounge club. Rukia thought that since you have a thing for music it might help you feel a little less depressed about what's going on. She said that there's an amazing pianist there."

"…Sounds good." Renji sat on the bed and listened as Ichigo's breathing began to even out. He waited for a while before rising from the bed and heading out the room, pulling the door slightly closed behind him. He walked down the hallway and bent over to grab Ichigo's jacket and made his way to put it back into the hallway closet.

He walked down the hallway and around the corner and looked up to see Yuzu staring at him, her normal brown hair pulled into a side ponytail and her eyes filled with sadness. "He's okay." She just nodded and went back to what she was previously doing. Renji sat at the kitchen table and watched as Yuzu worked on cooking dinner.

He was amazed at how much she, Karin and Ichigo had been through over the years. Losing their parents in a car accident and then Ichigo's ability to see. They had to grow up faster than normal kids did and most of the time didn't have enough time to do anything for themselves. They were lucky they had a relative left that was willing to adopt and take them in. Their Uncle Urahara was a strange man, but they loved him all the same.

He was there for them, no matter what the problem was and everything seemed like it would get better. That was until Ichigo got into an accident that took his eyesight away from him. It was something he was never ready for, but who would be?

To have something since you were born, know what everything looks like and then to have it taken away from you in the blink of an eye. Ichigo was devastated when the doctors told him that his eyes were damaged so badly that he wouldn't be able to see again unless he received an eye transplant.

They weren't made of money and even after insurance it was still a hefty price to pay. Ichigo was willing to get a job, but it would take some time before he would even be able to walk around the house without running into something or getting lost. Renji sighed. He was worried about his friend. He knew Ichigo could take care of himself, but sometimes he went into fits of confusion like before and didn't know where or what he was doing.

Sometimes he could go a whole day finding his way around and not feel panicked, but then there were days where he felt out of place and too afraid to move one step. It was going to be a long journey, but he knew with some time and patience Ichigo would be able to live almost normally again.

He wondered if he should call Rukia and tell them that they weren't going to be able to meet her and Inoue at the club, or to let them just go by themselves. It was a little depressing that Ichigo hadn't really been many places since his release from the hospital, other than out for a walk every now and then. He always said he hated having to hear the sympathy in people's voice when they saw he was blind or the way people tried to help him with everything.

Ichigo was never the type of person who depended on someone else to do something for him and he mostly fought his battles alone, but now that he wasn't able to see, he hated having to rely on someone else for help.

"Kurosaki residence." Renji looked up from his thoughts, not even realizing that the phone had been ringing. "Oh, hello Rukia…Yes, Renji is here." Renji watched as Yuzu conversed with Rukia. "Yes, hold on." The small brown haired girl pulled the phone from her ear and handed it to Renji, who reached out for it. He rose from the table and headed to the hallway to get a little privacy.

"Yeah, Rukia-"

"Are you two coming?" She sounded aggravated and slightly impatient.

"Ichigo said he doesn't feel like it. He said we can go tomor-"

"NO! Bring him TONIGHT! I'm tired of seeing him moping around."

"But-"

"Do I have to come over there and drag the both of you down here?" Renji cringed at the thought of the small woman coming over to cause hell.

"No, but he won't listen to me."

"Hand him the phone."

"He's sleeping."

"Hand. Him. The. Phone." Renji quickly made his way down to Ichigo's room. He could hear music drifting softly from the room. He stood in the doorway and watched as Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed and let the soft melody wrap around his oblivious figure. He had kind of figured Ichigo wouldn't be sleeping. He hadn't done much of it lately and when he did it was only when Renji was in the same room.

"We'll be there, Rukia." He disconnected the call without even getting a response from the little woman. He would deal with her rage later. He pushed open the door, listening as the creaking of it sounded much louder in the room.

"Renji?" Ichigo looked over his shoulder and in the direction of the noise.

"Yeah, it's me Ichigo." He made his way over and sat next to Ichigo on the bed. "I thought you were sleeping." Ichigo shook his head and turned back to look forward. He wasn't sure what it looked like outside, but he guessed it was the evening. "Then…how about we go to the club? Rukia just called me."

Ichigo clenched and unclenched his fists against his dark blue cotton pants. He didn't feel comfortable being in large crowds right now. The thought made him shiver at what could happen. "I don't know, Renji. What if something-"

"Nothing is going to happen. Stop being such a worrywart. You were never like this." Ichigo frowned at the comment, but he knew it was true. He never worried that much about silly things.

"Okay. It might be nice to get out. Just for a bit."

"That's the spirit."

* * *

"Renji, I don't know about this." Ichigo and Renji had finally made it to the club. The drive over was a hassle, being that since the snow was heavily falling. Renji was going to call Rukia and say it was way too stormy, but he just ignored that feeling and tried to make his way to the club as fast and safely as possible.

He was surprised when he noticed the parking lot was almost full to its capacity. He had only heard of the club from Rukia and never thought it would be that popular. When they stepped out of the car, Ichigo instantly felt the need to move inside. It was just far too cold to stand in one spot. His forest green military peacoat was pulled tight and buttoned up completely and his black beret hat covered most of his hair and ears.

Renji insisted he wear sunglasses, but he didn't want to hide his blindness, just because it always gave him sympathy and special treatment, he just wanted people to treat him like a normal person. They made their way inside, Ichigo holding on to the edge of Renji's jacket because Renji said it was far too crowded for him to use his walking stick.

They walked around people, making sure not to bump into anyone, even by accident. They walked down a small set of stairs and Renji saw Inoue and Rukia sitting at a booth that was a little close to the stage. Renji thought this was going to be like a normal club, but it was more like a concert hall or some kind of theatre the way that the place was situated.

"Renji, Ichigo, you made it!" Orihime waved at Renji as they made their way over to the booth. Ichigo began to pull his jacket off, but left his hat on to keep from drawing attention to himself. He slipped into the booth seat with the red head's help and came a little too close to Inoue, which made her cheeks blush a dark rosy color. No matter what had happened, she still had the biggest crush on the orange haired man.

Rukia smirked at the blush across Orihime's face. She knew Ichigo had always been oblivious to the way Inoue looked at him. He would be more oblivious to it now, and if the orange haired girl didn't say something, she would never get a chance to be with him.

"I'm glad you came out, Ichigo." Said man turned his attention to where Rukia's voice was coming from and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm glad too." She could hear the sadness in his voice, but he seemed like he was genuinely happy to be out with the rest of his friends. She watched as his hands were slightly shaking, making her frown and glance at Renji. The red haired man was frowning as well when he caught sight of the shaky hands. He guessed Ichigo wasn't lying when he said he felt nervous in big crowds.

"Are you guys hungry?"

"Yuzu made sure we ate a snack before we left, but it couldn't hurt to eat again if we get hungry." Renji looked around, wondering where this so-called amazing pianist was. "So when is this guy suppose to go on?"

"In a few minutes. He doesn't start until 7:15 and its only 7:10. I'm surprised you guys were actually able to get in here with so much commotion going on. I've never seen so many people here, even if it is a Friday."

"Is this guy really that good?" Rukia just nodded, but didn't elaborate. She would let him see for himself. "Well, I'll let Ichigo be the judge of that. He's the music addict out of the group."

"Shut up, Renji. I am not. I just enjoy music."

"There's nothing wrong with being addicted to music. It's better than being addicted to food or drugs or even shopping." Ichigo just snorted, but didn't say much else. He was glad he was relaxing a bit. This was a good sign for him after feeling so nervous while he was out most of the time.

"Oh! There he is. I swear he's got to be the most gorgeous man I've ever seen." Renji rolled his eyes while Inoue just nodded, but she only thought he was the second gorgeous. Ichigo would always be her number one.

* * *

Grimmjow peeked from behind the circular window of the backroom door and saw that the place was packed far more than usual. It was making him feel nervous. He hadn't played in front of so many people since he was a teenager. He wondered if his boss was behind this. It was a lounge club, not some theater. He ran a hand through his blue locks and took a deep breath. He had to relax before he had a nervous breakdown.

"Grimmjow, what is the problem?" _Speak of the devil. Here came his boss._ The blunet glared over his shoulder at his smiling boss. The man always was such a pain in his ass.

"The problem is that if you are turning this place into some concert hall, than you need to be paying me more."

"Alright." Grimmjow turned his full body around to watch his boss. He narrowed his eyes at the smiling man, trying to gauge if he was lying or not. "You were getting paid twenty dollars an hour, so how about sixty dollars an hour?"

"Seriously?" The brown haired man's smile widened and he nodded. Grimmjow lowered his eyes and bit his lip. That, plus the money he made as a waiter, would be more than enough for him. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Good, I'll need you to wear this." Grimmjow sneered at what his boss was showing him. He hated those damn suits. He always felt like he was going to choke to death in them.

"No, I wear what I want or no deal."

"Grimmjow…"

"Aizen…no suit or no deal. You have a packed house. Do you really want me to walk out of here just because you want me to wear some monkey suit?"

"…Must you always be so difficult?"

Grimmjow turned his back to his boss and began to walk out to the front of the club. "Yes." He made his way down the dark brown-carpeted stairs and around the side towards the raised stage. He watched as people conversed amongst themselves, laughing and enjoying the atmosphere the club provided. He was glad all eyes weren't on him or he would feel even more nervous. He watched as the spotlight brightened a bit and moved toward the grand piano situated in the middle of the stage.

He sat upon the bench and opened the lid that covered the rows of white and black. He looked down at them, blowing out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He cracked his knuckles and then his neck. The loud chatter began to quiet down and Grimmjow could feel a lot of eyes on him. He let the weight fall from his fingers and let them rest against the keys of the piano before he started to play a short and jazzy piano improvisation to calm his nerves and relax his fingers.

The whole club was silent and all that could be heard was the melody coming from the glistening black piano. Shunsui looked on, completely stopping the cleaning of glasses when he heard Grimmjow getting into his normal vibe. Even Nanao peeked out from her cook's window for a quick view and sound to dance through her ears.

Aizen leaned against the door that led to the back of the club with his eyes closed. He would have never thought that such a brash man would be able to play the piano so beautifully. When he heard him the first time, he was utterly speechless, which wasn't a normal thing for him. The blunet had amazing talent and Aizen always wondered why he wasn't playing in Paris or Germany, even in America for some well-known orchestra.

He guessed it was because Grimmjow didn't see himself fitting in with it, but he wouldn't get anywhere playing in a simple lounge club that was in the middle of a small town like Karakura. He couldn't really complain though. He was a person who loved a little classical music and he enjoyed listening to the boy play.

Ichigo sat in the booth with his eyes closed as well. He couldn't believe such a person actually lived in Karakura. Most of the great musicians stayed in Tokyo, even Osaka, but there was one right in his neighborhood. He seriously couldn't believe his ears. The harmony was making his heart flutter and his body relaxed at the way the man's fingers flowed across the keys. He massaged them as if they were the skin of the one he truly loved and Ichigo could tell whoever this man was, he really did enjoy what he was doing. Everything else around him died away and the music penetrated him straight to his soul.

Grimmjow was finally getting into his normal swing of things. He could feel his mind soothing with the harmonic crescendo. He let his fingers glide across the ebony and ivory rectangular keys. This was his haven away from the problems of the world. He could play the piano until his fingers fell off and then play a little more after that. It was his lifesaver and he owed the music he played everything for helping him through the tough times.

He could feel the sweat across his brow at the intensity of the moment and the brightness and burning of the stage lights, but he wouldn't move an inch away from it. He would let that liquid roll down his face and enjoy how he felt when he was in the middle of working his music the way he normally did. He watched as his fingers fleeted across the keys as if he was working a hammer to a nail, hammering away at them like it was the best job in the world and he realized that he had just begun.

* * *

**2½ hours later**

Grimmjow chuckled at the people applauding him as if he had just finished singing the hardest song in the world. There were people screaming for encores and extra songs to be played, but he didn't think he could play another piece at the moment. As much as he would love to, he had played his soul out for the rest of the night and was ready to take a breather. He eyed the crowd and thought it wouldn't hurt to play one last song as an encore and a cool down. After he got an ear full of praises he sat back down at the piano. He watched on as Shunsui came down with a bottle of water like he normally did after Grimmjow played. "Thanks man."

"No problem, just keep that music coming," the brown haired man threw over his shoulder, as he made his way back up to the bar. Grimmjow opened the bottle and took a swig of water before closing it back up and setting it down on the hardwood floor. He started undoing his long-sleeved button down to let some air hit his sweating and hot chest and he heard a group of ladies whistle and ask for his phone number. He chuckled at the antics, and let his fingers run across the piano.

"Sorry ladies, music is my only woman." The females giggled, enjoying how playful Grimmjow was being.

Ichigo sat at his booth with wide unseeing eyes. He had heard that voice before. He couldn't place where, but he knew for sure that he had heard it recently. He furrowed his brows together in frustration, trying to pinpoint where, but gave up when the mysterious pianist started to play a soft melody.

_[Indigo by Yiruma]_

The club was silent yet again as Grimmjow played a tune that was beautiful in every way. The softness was totally opposite from Grimmjow himself, but he was used to playing romantic melodies. He spent a whole year playing nothing but classical and amorous music so that he could learn how to play the piano softer. He had always been a man of variety, so of course he didn't want to limit himself to one type of music. No one would have ever thought a man like him would love the softer sides of some things, a man who in high school -despite playing the piano- fought in more fights than he could ever remember. He was always a badass kid. He stole from people, even though he knew that it was wrong. He would get caught in compromising situations that always lead to his mother finding out and punishing him. She even went so far as to ban Grimmjow from playing the piano, which hurt him, more than anything else did.

One would say he was and still is obsessed with playing the piano, but it was like someone who was addicted to some drug, or in love with a show that they religiously watched every time it came on TV. It was his weakness, his addiction and he would do anything, just to have it.

He let his fingers flow through the song. He always enjoyed playing this song. It always reminded him of his mother. He would never forget anything she had ever done for him. Even after his father left, she was still as strong as ever. It was always just him and his mother. He could care less where his father was, whether he was dead or alive. He had left and he wasn't waiting for him to come back. He was coming to the closing of the song when he looked up. He scanned the club full of people in the dim light.

His eyes narrowed on a table that was situated somewhere in the front. Two women and two males, he was sure of. That spiky, long maroon colored hair was something new. It was nothing like that orange spiky chaos he had seen earlier that day, but it was still interesting. He looked back down at his hands, so that it didn't seem like he was staring. He didn't really need to watch his hands to play the piano. It was all about touch and feel so he lifted his head up again.

His eyes zeroed in on a sea of white. _Is that the blind man from earlier today?_ He could be seeing things because of all the bright lights. The man had on a hat and was hiding the crucial piece to figuring out if the man Grimmjow was gazing at had fiery orange hair. He played the last few notes of the song before it was completed and he rose from the bench, the crowd clapping and whistling at him with more praises.

He was tired and he still had to work his normal waiter shift. He couldn't make a living off of just playing the piano, so Aizen had hired him as a waiter as well since there weren't that many employees. He quickly made his way to the back of the club and headed for the bathroom. He relieved himself and rinsed his face off. When he stepped out of the washroom, Aizen was leaning against the wall, eyeing him.

"Che, what is it, Aizen?" He asked as he walked over to his locker to slip on his dark green apron.

"Nothing. I just wanted to say you did an exceptional job tonight, but that's really nothing new."

"Yet you're always trying to tell me how to play the piano." Grimmjow glared over his shoulder at the always-smiling man. "And what the hell are you so damn happy about all the time?" Aizen's smile grew wider and he chuckled at Grimmjow.

"Why wouldn't I be happy? I have nothing to really complain about. Is there a reason why I should be upset? Did you break something that I should know about?"

"Don't answer questions with questions. Just…it's kind of creepy when you're always so smiley."

"Well, you don't want to see me while I'm frowning or angry. Now…why don't you mingle with your fans and maybe serve some food? That is your job." Grimmjow slammed the door to his locker closed and grumbled as he walked back out to the front of the club. He glared in the direction of the bar and noticed the other waiters already doing their jobs. The normal background music was back on, playing quietly and the guest and club goers were back to conversing and having a good time.

He relaxed and smoothly made his way towards the bar, grabbing his normal pen and pad and set off to take some orders.

* * *

"I told you he was amazing. When have I ever been wrong?"

"A lot of times, but I have ta' admit. The man's got some skills." He turned to see Ichigo still looking in the direction where the music had been coming from. "What about you, Ichi? What did you think?"

Ichigo continued to stare, trying to find the words for what he felt. He was in love with the music that had come from the fingers of the pianist. That was the only explanation he could think of at the moment. That last song had absolutely taken his breath away and he needed to find a way to hear it again.

"I-it was…amazing." Ichigo knew that wasn't the right word, but that was all he could think of. He closed his eyelids and sighed. He was a little tired now that he had stayed there and listened for two hours straight. The fact that he didn't get much sleep the night before might have been adding to the problem as well. He was a little hungry too and wondered if they could get something to eat soon.

"Oh, he's a waiter too!" Rukia seemed excited that the blunet was heading over to their table dressed in a dark colored apron. Her eyes glistened with excitement at being able to see the gorgeous pianist up close.

"Good evening." Ichigo perked up at the voice he immediately realized was the man from earlier that day. He had remembered bumping into someone with a nasty attitude only to show a little sympathy afterwards. Ichigo frowned to himself. He hated getting sympathy, but he guessed it was a normal reaction.

"You were so good. I come here all the time to hear you play."

"Well that's good to know. I'm glad you enjoyed." Rukia smiled big at the blue haired man, before realizing she was staring.

"Oh, uhm I guess we should order, huh?" She softly chuckled to herself. Renji just glared in her direction as she gave Grimmjow her order. Everyone around the table ordered before it came to Ichigo.

"And what about you?" Ichigo was looking in the direction of the voice, wishing he could put a face to the velvety deep tone.

"Ichi, he's talking to you," Renji whispered.

"Oh, uhm, I'm not sure. What's good here?"

"Depends on what you want to eat."

"Uhm, do you have fish?" Grimmjow chuckled low before responding with an affirmative answer. He could figure something out for the man he finally realized was the one from before. He was about to leave to give the order when that voice spoke again. "Uhm, I might sound a little crazy, but I recognize your voice." Grimmjow smiled to himself before turning around.

"I thought I was the only one hearing things. I'm sorry about bumping into you earlier today; I had a lot on my mind." Ichigo gave a soft smile that made Grimmjow's heart flutter, but he ignored the feeling.

"You really are amazing at what you do. I would love to hear you play again."

"Well I work here five times a week, but I only play three days out of the five."

"Are you playing tomorrow night?"

"Yeah. If you want, I can save you the same seat for tomorrow." Ichigo's smile seemed to get brighter at the thought of hearing the man play again and Grimmjow wanted to smile back. He kept his cool though. He didn't want to seem overly happy about the prospect of seeing the orange haired man again. He may not be able to see his smile, but his friends would.

"That would be great. Uhm, I'm Ichigo by the way, just so you can remember."

Chuckling, the blunet responded, "It's kind of hard to forget your voice, but I'm Grimmjow." Ichigo blushed a little at the hidden message. He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.

"Well it was nice to…meet you."

"You too. I guess I should go get these orders in before you all starve to death, ne?" Grimmjow made his way towards the bar, oblivious to the glare coming from the petite woman or the frown on the orange haired woman's face. He really couldn't believe his luck. Life seemed to be turning around for him and it all was because of a little music.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

"Ichigo, where are you going?" He just had to go, even if it was for a little while. He didn't know why he felt the serious urge to go to  _Dangai_. There was plenty of music sitting at home on shiny discs that he could listen to. Jazz, Classical, R &B, Pop, Hip Hop, Soul, Rock & Roll, anything he could possibly want to listen to, but it just didn't feel the same as listening to that man play the piano. It made him smile more than he had been since stepping foot out of the hospital and he refused to pass up a chance to be around those sweet melodies.

"I'm going to that club, Renji." He slid into his all black Vans and fixed his jacket and scarf. He felt great. It had only been a week since he first went to the lounge club, but he felt a little better each day. After going back to the club the following night with Renji and listening to Grimmjow play the piano again, the man had said he could come anytime he wanted to. Grimmjow had given Ichigo his schedule, so he knew when the blunet would be around.

He had gone almost every time Grimmjow was set to play the piano and one day that he was just working as a waiter. They had talked a little bit, but not enough for Ichigo. He enjoyed hearing the man play, but he wanted to know Grimmjow as a person and figure out who the man behind the piano was.

"Aren't you being bothersome for that guy? He does work there." Renji leaned against the wall and watched his friend fiddle with his pockets to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything important. He didn't like the fact that Ichigo was constantly hanging out with that man. He was a great musician, but Ichigo knew nothing about his personal life. He was walking into this relationship blindly and Renji had every right to worry about his friend.

"He said I could come, so I'm going. Are you coming with me or not?" Ichigo didn't give a damn if the red haired man came with him or not. He would find a way to get there.

"I can drive you there if you want to go so badly, but are you sure you should be hanging around him so much? He seems a little…I don't know…careless, especially with that bright ass blue hair."

Ichigo looked up and stared off to the side of Renji. "He has blue hair?"

"Yeah."

"Renji, you're one to talk. You have bright ass red hair, if I remember correctly and I have orange hair. So are we careless too?" Renji frowned. He didn't know how to answer that. He knew Ichigo wasn't careless, but he didn't know about himself. "Look, if you don't want me hanging out with him, just say so, but don't blame it on his hair."

Ichigo was pissed that Renji could even say the same thing both of them had been defending themselves from in high school all those years ago. People had always thought they were delinquents because of their oddly natural bright hair. It was a reason they had been picked on and had gotten into fights. He was never ashamed that his hair wasn't black or brown, but that didn't help when he was defending himself from groups of uptight bullies with nothing better to do.

"You're right, sorry. I just…I just don't want you to get hurt while you're in that condition." Ichigo's face scrunched into a sneer at what Renji was implying. He of all people knew Ichigo didn't want to be constantly reminded of what was wrong with him. "…Shit, Ichi, I'm sorry."

"Save it…I'm leaving and I don't need a ride." Ichigo turned around and felt for the door. He unlocked it and pulled it open and walked out. He slammed the door behind him and unfolded his walking stick. He began to feel for the right direction and hoped he didn't get himself lost while he was in a fit of rage.

* * *

Grimmjow sat at his kitchen table, looking through the pile of mail he had grabbed out of the mailbox earlier that morning. He frowned at a sealed envelope from his mother's life insurance company. He had been trying to get in contact with them ever since his mother had passed away to see what was going on with the money she had left aside. They had been dodging him and it was starting to piss him off. He had to dip into his own savings to pay for the funeral and extra expenses, which he didn't mind doing, but the money that was from her life insurance was supposed to help with all those costs.

He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the folded sheets of paper. Unfolding them, he began to read the small printed words on them. Frowning, he continued to read, flipping to the next page. "You gotta' be kidding me?" he mumbled to himself. What he was reading couldn't possibly be right. The company had gone belly-up and all the money his mother had put into her life insurance was gone.

They had filed for bankruptcy and the only way Grimmjow was going to get his mother's money was through a long and drawn out battle in court. He didn't have the time or the money to deal with that, and it was probably going to take months before he would actually receive the life insurance money.

He couldn't believe this shit was happening. He ran a hand through his hair. He had needed those funds to compensate for the money he used before. He was already stretching his savings as much as it could go. He sighed and dropped the group of papers to the table and buried his face into his palms, yelling in frustration. He didn't need these problems right now.

He was lucky Aizen was starting to give him a new salary, but that didn't justify not having what his mother spent her whole adult life. He ran his hands through his hair again and looked up at the clock. He needed to get ready to go to work. He needed every second of every minute at that job. He sighed and rose from the table, leaving the mess of papers sitting there; he would finish reading them and deal with the problem later.

He made his way to his bedroom to start getting dressed, when his cell phone started to ring. He strolled into the bedroom, over to the bedside table and picked it up, looking at the caller ID. He frowned when he realized who it was and rejected the call. He didn't need to deal with Luppi's whiny ass right now. The constant calling and crying over the phone was not an attractive thing for the petite man to do and it only made Grimmjow want to stay farther away from him.

He should have known it was going to happen though. Luppi had always been a very clingy man and if Grimmjow wasn't around he turned into some little crybaby. He made his way over to his closet and pulled out a plaid long-sleeved button down. He slipped it over his short-sleeved gray t-shirt and buttoned up his taupe colored low rise fitted jeans. He sighed when he heard his cell phone ring again.

He strode over to it and answered it. "What the hell do you want?"

"…Uhm, Grimmjow?"

"…Ichigo?" The blunet was surprised to be hearing from Ichigo, he had thought it was Luppi calling him back.

"Yes, uh, did I call you at a bad time?"

"No, no what's up?" He made his way back over to his closet to finish getting ready.

"Uh, well, I-I feel kind of awkward asking you this, since I just met you, but uhm…" Grimmjow listened to the panic and shakiness in the orange head's voice and realized something was wrong.

"Is there something wrong?" He stopped what he was doing to listen to Ichigo's surroundings in the background. He couldn't tell if the man was outdoors or not.

"I'm kind of…lost and don't know where I'm going. I kind of need…" Ichigo trailed off, not really wanting to ask a complete stranger for help. He would have called Renji, but he was still upset at him and his stubbornness wouldn't let him call the red head.

"Where were you trying to go?"

"I was going to meet you at your job, so that I could see you." Grimmjow could practically see the blush on the smaller male. He could be so cute sometimes.  _Focus, Grimmjow!_

"Did you ask someone where you were located?"

"There's no one around, at least I don't think so. I can't really hear any voices or anything. I hear cars, but that's about it."

"Oh, Ichigo…"

"I'm sorry…it's okay if you're too busy, I can figure something out." Grimmjow frowned at the undertone of hurt in the man's voice. From the way Ichigo interacted with the red haired guy, Grimmjow figured Ichigo wasn't used to asking people for help. When they were at the club, whenever the red head asked if Ichigo needed any assistance, the man would go into a frenzy about not being handicapped and being able to do things himself.

"No, no, how long have you been out? If you just left home I can probably find you."

"Uhm, I've been out for maybe fifteen minutes."

"Give me your address and I'll be on my way." Grimmjow went and grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil so he could quickly jot down the smaller man's address. He was surprised that the male didn't live too far away from him. They practically lived in the same neighborhood. He continued to talk to Ichigo as he pulled on his black lace up workman boots and tied them loosely. He grabbed his bomber jacket and scarf and slipped them on, before grabbing his wallet and car keys.

He made his way out of his apartment and down the flight of stairs and over to the parking lot. Slipping into his dark blue Honda Accord, he made his way towards the man's place of residence. He listened to Ichigo speaking to him on the other line and he tried to keep him calm. After driving for a little while, he pulled up to the curb in front of Ichigo's apartment and stepped out of the car, shivering at the cold breeze.

"Okay, Ichigo, I'm standing in front of your apartment. Now tell me everything you did."

"Uhm, okay I walked down the walkway that leads out onto the main sidewalk. I remember there's a stop sign right on the corner. I made a left…I think and from there I don't really remember. I think I walked past a store though because I heard the chime that usually goes off when people walk through the doorway."

"Okay, good," Grimmjow responded as he began to walk down the way Ichigo said he went. Looking in both directions, he continued to walk down various paths, looking for the bright orange hair. He felt like he had been walking for longer than fifteen minutes when he heard Ichigo speak to him again.

"Grimm, I think there's someone near me. It doesn't feel right." Grimmjow could feel his feet moving faster and faster.

"Doesn't feel right how?"

"It's like someone is sneaking up on me or watching me or something." Grimmjow smirked as he continued to stroll forward. He stepped up behind the orange haired man and looked down at him. He could practically see Ichigo shaking, but he wasn't sure if it was from fear or from the cold.

"Ichigo."

"Hmm?"

"I'm right behind you." Ichigo turned around and almost bumped into Grimmjow's chest. He caught himself and kept his balance and looked straight through the bigger man's chest. "Did I scare you?"

"YES! How could you sneak up on me like that!" Grimmjow disconnected his cell phone and slipped it into his pocket.

"I'm sorry, but you're safe. It was only little ole' me." Ichigo grumbled as he slipped his phone into his coat pocket, scowling.

"Stupid bastard," Ichigo mumbled under his breath, making Grimmjow chuckle.

"So, ready to go?"

"I'm not going now. I can't believe you humiliated me like that."

"Oh come on now, Ichi, I was just fooling with you. I didn't mean you any harm. Sometimes you just gotta' laugh at cha self."

"Whatever, I can't believe you." Grimmjow just smirked down at the scowling and blushing face. The man was absolutely gorgeous. The soft looking peach skin, the strong and narrow nose that had a dusting of freckles running across it. The small, smooth looking pouty lips that Grimmjow wanted to sink his teeth into.

"…How about I make it up to you?" Ichigo looked up and his face started to relax.

"Make it up to me how?"

"You'll find out."

* * *

"Grimm, where are we? It smells good in here." Grimmjow could feel Ichigo's finger tugging tight on the back of his jacket as they made their way into a little bakery shop that was down the street from  _Dangai_. He didn't know if Ichigo liked sweets, but from the sweet aroma always wafting off of him, Grimmjow figured he had to have a thing for them.

"It's a sweets and pastry shop."

"Really!" Grimmjow chuckled at the giddy, child-like voice that came out of the smaller male. He was definitely sure Ichigo loved sweets now.

"Yeah, my cousin works here and she's always giving me free samples to taste." Grimmjow looked around the shop, noticing it was a unusually empty. It was usually full with people, no matter the time of day. He noticed no one was manning the front and wondered where his green haired cousin was. He walked up to the counter and leaned over the display glass. He felt Ichigo run his hand around the side of his waist before he saw it touch the cold glass.

He looked on, watching Ichigo look ahead at nothing with a thoughtful expression on his face. "What's good here?"

"Well they have Taiyaki that's usually filled with custard or chocolate. Their cheesecake is the best I've ever had and they have chocolate mint patties, though I've never tried them."

"What do you usually get?" Ichigo turned his eyes towards where Grimmjow's voice had been coming from and the blunet looked down into the white orbs. He gazed into them, millions of thoughts about them running through his mind. Now that he had met Ichigo, he wondered what happened that had resulted in Ichigo losing his eyesight. "Grimm?"

"Oh, uh, I don't eat many sweets, but they have really delicious breads. I usually buy some when they are fresh." Ichigo softly smiled.

"You seem like you wouldn't like sweets. You're more like a pie man, I'm guessing." Grimmjow chuckled. It was true he was a pie man.

"Grimmy?" The blunet looked up when he heard a child-like voice come from behind the counter. He caught sight of his cousin as she came around the counter and dived into him to hug him tight. "You came to visit me! I'm so happy!" She squeezed her arms around his waist and he yelled in pain.

"Ahhh, Nel, you're crushing me! Stop!" She quickly dropped him to his feet and he backed away from the overly excited woman. He glanced to the side of him to see Ichigo staring with confusion before glancing back. "Shit, tryna' kill me."

"I'm sorry, Grimmy. I just haven't seen you in such a long time." Nel made her way back around the counter and stood at the display glass across from the blue haired man. She watched as Grimmjow tried to pull the orange haired male close to him, making the smaller man blush and slap him against the arm. She smiled wide at how affectionate her older cousin was being. "Oh! Who is this, Grimmy?"

"Oh right, Nel, this is Ichigo."

"Itsygo?" Ichigo chuckled at the way the girl said his name. It was weird, but with the way her voice sounded, it was like a child trying to speak someone's name. "Hi! I'm Nelliel, but you can call me Nel."

"It's nice to meet you." She smiled at Ichigo and noticed how close he was moving towards Grimmjow, wondering if it was a sign of comfort. It seemed the orange haired man felt a little safe around her cousin and it made her happy.

"Now, what can I get you two?"

* * *

Ichigo and Grimmjow walked into the lounge club side by side. Ichigo was holding a large box of pastries and sweets that Nel had given him. He thought she was such an interesting person and she seemed like she was a lot of fun. She teased Grimmjow most of the time they were there and she even asked him about his boyfriend. Ichigo was surprised that Grimmjow liked men. He seemed like he was an all-around ladies man, but he guessed he was wrong.

He kind of felt a little envious of Grimmjow for being able to figure himself out. Ichigo didn't know what he liked, whether it was men or women. He had never thought about it. He always had more important things to think about instead of those kinds of things, but now that he thought about it, he still didn't know. He didn't want to be labeled as something he wasn't, so he couldn't say if he was heterosexual, homosexual or bi-sexual. He couldn't say he was asexual because he would be lying to himself. No matter what he liked, he still thought about sex. He may not have had any, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't want any. It was always about being with the right person.

The person you are willing to give yourself to fully and not worry about being hurt. He wouldn't admit it, but he didn't want to be hurt. He was sure that went for a lot of people, but from the way his life had been, he couldn't afford being thrown aside. He wore his vulnerability on his sleeve and he needed a person that wouldn't take advantage of it.

He knew who ever he chose to be with, it would be someone that could make him smile easily. Someone he felt comfortable being around and someone he could be himself around. He needed a person who was willing to see him for him, without only seeing his problems.

"Ichigo…what are you standing there for?" He felt someone tug on his jacket and he let Grimmjow drag him away. "Did you know that you space out a lot? It's kinda' creepy." Ichigo smiled to himself as he let Grimmjow take him wherever. He felt safe in the blunet's hands and he had a feeling that the older man wouldn't deliberately put him in danger.

"Shut up, it's not creepy. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Ichigo felt Grimmjow take the box from his hands and then started to feel a tug on his jacket, before hands removed themselves from it. Ichigo started removing his jacket, glad that Grimmjow didn't try to completely take it off for him. He lowered his hand to feel for the table and his other one to feel for the seat and maneuvered himself into it.

"Just stuff…" Ichigo didn't want to be detailed about it, so he just gave a vague answer. He heard Grimmjow hum in understanding before speaking again.

"Are you hungry? I can get Nanao to make you something before I start my shift. I don't want you eating those sweets without eating some real food."

"What am I? Your child?"

"Of course you are my little, wittle Ichi," Grimmjow responded, making Ichigo scowled, mumbling about creepy weirdoes under his breath. Grimmjow just smirked down at the smaller male. "Seriously though, their stuff is pretty sweet and you shouldn't eat it without having some real food."

"Fine, fine, whatever."

"I'll be back with your food, okay?" Ichigo nodded his head and Grimmjow went on his way. He headed to the bar to order something for Ichigo, then went to the back of the club and got ready for his shift. He was slipping on his apron, when his cell phone rang. "Who the-" He reached into his jacket and pulled the phone out and growled at the name.

"What the hell do you want, Luppi?"

"Grimm! Y-you finally answered!"

"Yeah, now what do you want? I'm busy," Grimmjow grumbled as he fixed his apron.

"I-I'm sorry about what I said. I d-didn't mean to offend you or any-anything I was just speaking m-my mind. Please come back to me, Grimm." Grimmjow sucked his teeth in annoyance. He was so tired of this. He really debated changing his number, but that was too much of a hassle.

"No, now are you finished crying? I gotta' get to work."

"NO! Grimm, please! I promise I'll change. I-I won't be rude anymore and I wont, uhm, speak badly about people anymore." The blunet leaned against the lockers and listened to Luppi beg and plead for him to take him back. He wasn't really fazed by it. Luppi enjoyed crying to get his way, but Grimmjow couldn't tell whether it was just an act or not. He sighed when he heard Luppi timidly saying, "please, please" continuously. It was started to sound pathetic.

"I have to go, Luppi. I'm at work, so we can talk about this later."

"Are you going to take me back?" He almost sounded hopeful and genuinely happy.

"I…don't know, but I gotta' go." He said his goodbyes to the petite man and threw his phone into the locker and shut it quietly. He made his way out and over to the bar to grab his pen and pad. He felt like he had just been persuaded by tears to give Luppi another chance. Wasn't he going to let the smaller man go? Why was he even thinking about taking him back now? He was happy not having to deal with his whiny voice. He felt great not having to listen to the way he talked about people or the rude comments constantly coming from his mouth. Did he really think Luppi was going to change something he had been doing for years?

He looked up and saw Ichigo looking off into space. He enjoyed the company the orange head offered. It was relaxing and though the man was fiery, it was in a good way. He wasn't really sure how Ichigo felt about him, but the man was willing to spend time with him and that was enough for Grimmjow. He sighed and looked to his side, watching Shunsui come his way with a plate of food.

"You look troubled," the older man murmured. He watched as Grimmjow grabbed a glass from the back shelf and filled it with liquid. Grimmjow grabbed the plate from Shunsui and turned his back to the dark haired male.

"I am…very troubled." He made his way towards Ichigo's table and set the plate of food in front of Ichigo and the glass next to it. "Here you go, Ichigo."

Ichigo frowned at the tone in Grimmjow's voice. He could feel the tense air and turned his face to look at him. "Is something wrong?"

Grimmjow stared down at Ichigo, pressing his lips together. Did he seriously want to give up a chance with him just to go back to Luppi? He frowned to himself. He was being such an idiot. "Naw, just thinking about some stuff. I'm starting my shift now, so I'll check on you in a bit, 'kay?"

Ichigo nodded and reached his hand out to feel for the silverware. Grimmjow watched him for a bit, making sure he could feel for everything before he left. His shift seemed to drag on with the way his mind was going a mile a minute. He didn't know if taking Luppi back was going to be such a good idea. Even though they had been together for years, it didn't seem like a logical thing to do. Being around the petite man was never a happy occasion. So why would he put himself back into the situation? Maybe it was because of the familiarity of how they interacted with each other, or the fact that he didn't have to try so hard with Luppi.

That made him sound so lazy, but he didn't have any energy to put into creating a new serious relationship. He also didn't even know if Ichigo swung that way, let alone liked him on that level. He figured Ichigo wasn't too sure about what he liked, by the way he reacted to things. He could just ask, but he didn't want to put the smaller man into an awkward situation. It was funny how uncertain of himself he was lately.

He walked past Ichigo's table to check on him and noticed the man's brows were creased. He hadn't seen him scowling to himself for a few days and wondered what the problem was. He made his way over to the kitchen to place the dirty dishes in the sink. Afterwards, he made his way to the bar and filled a glass with ice-cold water before making his way over to Ichigo's table again. He noticed Ichigo leaning forward and when he got closer he could hear the man grunting in pain.

He dropped to his haunches and set the water down on the table. "Ichigo, what's wrong?" He watched the man for a while, waiting for him to speak again. He raised his hand to the orange head's neck and slid it against the back of it, massaging the area.

"It's nothing, just a headache. I just need to get my medicine."

"Where is it? I can get it for you."

"NO! I don't need help. Just…just let me do it." Grimmjow frowned at the hostility, but let the man go about his business. He watched as Ichigo searched for his jacket. The man slipped his hand into the pocket, pulling out a small bottle of pills. He tried to pull the top off, but frowned at how difficult it was. Grimmjow wouldn't say anything until Ichigo asked him. "Gr-Grimm." He sighed, trying to will himself to ask for help. "Can you open this for me? I need two pills."

Grimmjow reached for the bottle and pulled open the childproof lid. He tipped the bottle over and let two pills fall into his hand before closing the lid again. He set the bottle down and handed Ichigo the pills and then reached for the glass of water to give to him as well. He watched as Ichigo swallowed the pills and water and then set the glass back down. "Feel better?"

"Ye-yeah, thank you. Sorry I yelled at you."

"Don't worry about it. I forgot you like to do things independently." Grimmjow rose from his crouching position and was about to get back to work, when he felt Ichigo's hand tugging on his shirt. He looked over his shoulder to see him with his head lowered. "Ichigo?"

"Uhm, it's really hard for me to ask people for help, so I hope you don't take offense when I get like that. I'm just not used to it. I was always able to do things on my own, so…"

"I said don't worry about it. I kind of guessed that was why. Sometimes though, there are some things you should just let people help you with, even if you know you can do it. There's nothing wrong with having a little help." Ichigo nodded and let his hand drop from Grimmjow's clothing.

"Ar-are you playing the piano today?" Grimmjow grinned at Ichigo.

"No…but I'll play it just for you when my shift is over." Ichigo blushed and Grimmjow grinned wider. He loved seeing the soft red run across the man's face. "Maybe we can talk about some things too."

"Okay…," Ichigo whispered. Grimmjow went back to working. He couldn't wait for his shift to be over so he could spend time with his little berry.

* * *

Grimmjow's shift had ended and the club was slowly becoming empty. The beginning of the week was always slow and Grimmjow relished the downtime after a long night's work. He was surprised that Ichigo wanted to stay with him, even after the club closed down to the public and when the staff was only left.

He and Ichigo sat at the piano, side by side on the bench. It was relaxing to just play the piano without millions of eyes on him. He enjoyed the quietness of Ichigo, only hearing his peaceful breathing as he played a few notes on the instrument. He wasn't playing anything special, but it was relaxing and it called for the quiescent mood that was surrounding them.

It was something that he and Luppi never shared. Just being able to enjoy the moment, without arguments or loud chatter. Even simple conversation wasn't a normal thing in their relationship. He really wondered how he had lasted so long.

"Grimm?" Ichigo's quiet voice broke the silence. It was breathy and relaxed.

"Hmm?"

"How long have you been playing the piano?"

"About fourteen years."

"Why aren't you playing for a band or orchestra? You're so talented. Don't you think it's being wasted here?" Grimmjow didn't really know the answer. He never thought about being any place than where he was now. He was always comfortable with the way his life was. Maybe money was tight and he was suffering a little, but he seriously couldn't see himself in any other place. He never thought about being famous or having wads of cash. He just thought about playing and enjoying the music.

He shook his head. "I haven't thought about being any other place than here," he responded. "I enjoy playing here. I enjoy living my life normally and being able to work my music. When I was younger, I wanted to be a composer. Writing jingles and movie soundtracks, things like that, but now, I don't really know."

"You should; you have a total knack for this. You said you write your own music. I'm sure it's really beautiful." Ichigo raised his hand and moved towards the sound of the piano. He felt the fabric of Grimmjow's shirt and ran his fingers down it. Grimmjow watched on with wide eyes as Ichigo's fingers trailed down his sleeve until they touched his hand. He could feel the soft skin of Ichigo's fingers against his, the long delicate fingers tracing circles as he softly played the piano. "Your hands are so soft."

"Uh…thank you?" Ichigo chuckled and continued to massage the skin of Grimmjow's hand letting his fingers work every shape and dip. He let his hand lay over the blunet's, feeling the way his hands bent and curved as he fingered the keys. "Ichigo…"

"I've been wondering what you look like, ever since I heard your voice for the second time. I wonder what color your eyes are and how striking they are. I wonder if you look as good as you sound. I wonder what your blue hair looks like."

"How did you know I had blue hair?"

"Renji." Grimmjow thought for a second, trying to remember whom Renji was. The person must not have been that important for Grimmjow to remember. "He's the one with the long red hair."

"Ahhh, that loud one." Ichigo chuckled and snorted, because Renji was in fact loud. "How do you two know each other?" Grimmjow was trying to get his mind off the fact that Ichigo had yet to remove his fingers from his hand. He needed a distraction from the naughty thoughts in his mind.

"We've been friends since we were in preschool. He's like a brother to me."

"Speaking of brother, do you have any siblings?"

"Two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin. They are a handful, but I don't know where I would be without them. What about you? Any family?"

"Naw, I'm alone now. My mother passed away a few weeks ago." Grimmjow frowned when he felt Ichigo's fingers tense against his skin. He slowed his playing to a stop and looked over at Ichigo. The boy had a lost expression on his face, but his eyes showed nothing. Grimmjow was having a hard time understanding what Ichigo was feeling with his blind eyes.

Ichigo chuckled dryly and looked down. "You're just like me, huh? No parents." Grimmjow was about to respond, when Ichigo spoke again. "My, uhm, my parents died when I was little. Karin and Yuzu were still babies. I was nine when I found out they had gotten into a car accident. It was hard for us, having no parents at such a young age. Since I was the oldest, I had to be strong for my sisters. We didn't know what was going to happen afterwards. I thought we were going to be separated, but thank God we weren't."

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Grimmjow really felt bad. He knew how hard it was to lose your parents, so he could understand, but the way Ichigo lost them was premature. His mother was getting old in age and when she got sick, he did hope she would get better, but age hadn't been on her side. Ichigo's parents had probably been in their prime and had young children at home waiting for them. It was a hard thing to go through, especially at that age.

Ichigo shook his head. "It's okay. I asked you about your family, so it doesn't bother me. It's just hard even after ten years." Grimmjow hummed in thought. He was surprised Ichigo was still so young and was dealing with so much. To be nineteen and living his life must be extremely hard.

"Grimmjow." Said man looked up and saw his boss making his way towards him. He frowned, trying to figure out what the man wanted. He felt Ichigo lower his hand away from his and look in the same direction he was looking.

"Yeah, what's up?" Aizen smiled softly when he caught sight of the little ginger haired male behind his favorite employee. He guessed it was the boy that had been enamored with Grimmjow lately.

"Well, it's time to close down shop, so if you're finished, you should get going." Grimmjow looked down at his wristwatch and noticed it was 11:15pm. He didn't realize he had stayed for so long.

"Oh, okay. Come on Ichigo. I'll take you home." Grimmjow rose from the bench and helped Ichigo. They descended the stairs and began to make their way to the back room.

"Oh, by the way, Grimmjow. Your cell phone has been going off for a while. I had half a mind to answer it, but that would be rude of me." Grimmjow frowned, but continued on his way. He guessed it was Luppi calling him again. He would have to deal with that sooner or later.

* * *

Grimmjow pulled up to Ichigo's apartment, parked and turned off his car. The silence was deafening, but he didn't know what to say. His mind had been in a whirlwind since he and Ichigo had left the club. Luppi had called five times and left message after message. It was nerve-wracking and he was so frustrated with it, that he didn't say a word to Ichigo. He needed a way to rectify the situation before the orange head thought he didn't want to be around him. He was about to speak when Ichigo beat him to it.

"I had a really nice time tonight. Probably more fun than I've ever had since I've left the hospital."

"That's…good. I'm glad." Ichigo sighed. He could tell there was something going on with Grimmjow. He was distracted and tense.

"Uhm, I guess this is the last time I'm going to see you."

"Wha?" That seemed to bring Grimmjow out of his trance. He didn't enjoy those words. He didn't want to screw up his chances with Ichigo.

"You seem a little distracted and if there are things on your mind, I don't want to bother you." Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair. He figured that was why. He was distracted, but that didn't mean he didn't enjoy being around Ichigo.

"Damn, Ichigo," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair again. "I'm just dealing with some shit. I don't want it to be a reason that you don't want to be around me."

"What's the problem?" Grimmjow sneered out the window. He watched the cold chill freeze and frost the outside of his window. Luppi was the problem. He was a major problem that Grimmjow didn't know how to deal with. The situation wasn't that serious, but it was still a problem he had to deal with.

"My ex-boyfriend."

"Oh…" Ichigo frowned to himself. Ichigo didn't know how to help with that. He hoped Grimmjow would let his ex-boyfriend be, but he was just being hopeful. He knew he wasn't boyfriend material and probably wasn't even Grimmjow's type. Just spending time with the man was enough for him. "Are you getting back with him?"

"I don't want to, I really don't. He's a serious pain in my ass." Ichigo was undoubtedly glad that the man didn't want to go back to his ex, but he felt bad for whoever that man was. He knew how upsetting losing someone was, even if it was just a break-up. "We've been together for a while and maybe I'm just thinking it's convenient to get back with him, but I'm ready to move forward from that relationship. Besides, I have someone else in mind that I want to be with." Ichigo could feel his heart quickening in pace.

"Wh-who would that be?"

"This lithe, orange haired strawberry that I recently met." Ichigo furrowed his brows together in confusion. Who was a strawberry? He sure wasn't a strawberry. He scowled in the direction of Grimmjow, making the older man smirk. "I forgot to mention he's fiery as well."

"Don't call me strawberry."

"Who said I was talking about you?" Ichigo's scowl turned into a frown. Maybe he was hoping for a little too much. He wanted Grimmjow to like him, because he liked Grimmjow. He didn't know if they would get anywhere, but he was sure he enjoyed the man's company.

"I-I just thought that-"

"Ichigo, I wonder about you sometimes. Of course I was talking about you." Ichigo turned towards Grimmjow. He wished he could see what Grimmjow looked like at that moment. He wished he could see the expression on his face, whether he was smiling or expressionless. He wanted to look into his eyes to see if they were lying and playing with his emotions or if they were serious and genuine. He hated not being able to see. He looked down and sighed.

"I wish I could tell if you were lying or not."

"I have no reason to lie, Ichigo. I've spent the whole night with you. Do you really think if I didn't like you I would have wasted my time?"

"But aren't you horrified by my disability?" Grimmjow made a noise of confusion.

"Why would I be? I have no problem with you being blind." Grimmjow gazed at Ichigo. "You thought I would have a problem with it? That's crazy. We have a lot in common. We can easily talk to each other. Your disability isn't getting in the way of that."

"But-"

"No more buts. I like you and you like me, right?" Ichigo nodded. "Then that's all that matters. Don't let your doubts get in the way."

"Okay," Ichigo responded. "Well, I guess I should get going."

"Want me to walk you up?" Ichigo shook his head and reached for the door. Grimmjow unlocked it and Ichigo opened it. The blunet watched as Ichigo unfolded his walking stick and held it out to feel for the curb. "Call me tomorrow. It's my off day, so maybe we can do something other than hang out at my job." Ichigo smiled and nodded. He stepped out of the car and closed the door behind him. Grimmjow watched as Ichigo made his way to his apartment. The man slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

The blunet started his car, making his way onto the road, Ichigo still on his mind. He couldn't believe he almost let his distractions screw up his chance. He guessed he needed to set Luppi straight before he tried to start a relationship with Ichigo. He knew the petite man would try to ruin anything new for him and he didn't want to have to kick the smaller man's ass for it. His cell phone rang again and he sighed, reaching for it.

"What Luppi?" He answered in a deadpanned tone.

"Grimm…can we talk now?" Grimmjow sighed for the hundredth time that night. He figured he better get it over with.

"Yeah, I'm on my way over."


	4. Chapter 4

Grimmjow groaned as he felt the throb in his head. It felt like there was water clogging his ears and nose. He turned over on his side, feeling another painful shot to his temples. He wondered why his headaches were attacking him now, when they hadn't been around for a week.

He balled his hands into fists, feeling soft cotton sheets between them. He slowly blinked his eyes open and took in his surroundings, making a noise of disappointment. He immediately recognized the room and wished he was anywhere but there. He wondered what the hell happened and why he was laying in Luppi's bed. He tried to remember, but his brain was protesting the idea.

He listened for any sounds coming from the apartment and heard soft murmuring coming from some other part of the apartment. Wasn't he supposed to go there and completely cut Luppi off for good? Why the hell had that not happened? Why was he laying there in the bed of his ex, naked? He frowned to himself when he heard the petite man's humming getting closer to the room. He watched the doorway and the sight of Luppi smiling wide, made him realize that something went terribly wrong.

"Grimm, you're awake! I made you breakfast." Grimmjow winced at the overly cheery and whiny voice. He wanted to bury his face into the pillow, but he needed to wake up and get the hell out of there. "It's your favorite: French toast! I made the eggs just how you like them and there's sausage and a cup of steaming, black coffee."

"Luppi, what the fuck!" His voice came out raspy and slightly strained. He tried to glare murderously up at Luppi, but the sleepiness in his eyes wasn't doing it justice. He needed to know what happened the night before. His body felt hard and heavy, his throat was sore and scratchy and his head was killing him. "Why the hell am I laying in your bed?"

"…What do you mean? We had sex last night. Don't you remember?"

"Fuck no! Tell me what happened last night? Explain to me in detail."

"Well…"

_**The Night Before** _

_Grimmjow made his way over to Luppi's. His mind was going a mile a minute and he could feel a migraine over the horizon. He didn't know what the hell to do about Luppi. On one hand, he had Ichigo. A man that he met a week ago and came to enjoy being around. He still didn't know much about him, but he was willing to get to know him more. Then there was his three-year boyfriend, who even though was a pain in his ass, was still able to keep his interest in some way._

_His relationship with Luppi wasn't all that bad. There were enjoyable and exciting parts, but the petite man's attitude towards various things was just something he couldn't deal with. Not to mention, Luppi was a total whiny, cry baby. The time they had been together, Grimmjow always hoped that the smaller male would grow a little backbone and stop being so dependent on him, but it never happened. He would feed off of Grimmjow and lean on him for everything._

_Grimmjow had his own problems to deal with and dealing with Luppi's drama and attitude on top of it was not good for his health. It had gotten so bad that Grimmjow had started getting headaches and nausea around the smaller man. It would go away after a while, but it was the fact that it showed up anyway. A relationship was not meant to make you sick, it was supposed to build you up and keep you strong and Grimmjow wasn't feeling that way._

_He pulled up to the large apartment complex and parked at the curb. He sat in the cold, blue car for a minute, debating if he really wanted to go in there and deal with Luppi. When he told the petite man that it was over a week ago, he didn't really give him time to explain anything and stormed out. He knew that hadn't been the right thing to do, but hell, he was just sick and tired of everything. He had exploded, but now when he thought about it, he could have treated the situation differently. He could have explained why he was breaking up with the smaller man and let Luppi digest the information in a more civil way._

_He sighed and slipped out of the car, locking it behind him. He pulled his jacket tight around him and made his way up the concrete stairs and into the warm looking building. He greeted a little old woman that passed him by and made his way down the dimly lit and brown-carpeted hallway._

_Making it to the man's door, he knocked and waited to be let in. He watched as the door opened to reveal Luppi clad in what would be one of Grimmjow's old t-shirts and nothing else. The blunet just stood, staring down at the petite man. Was Luppi trying to seduce him, knowing it had been a while without any sexual contact? He couldn't deny that he was still attracted to the smaller male, but he had came to do a job and distractions weren't going to stop him from doing just that._

_"Grimmjow! I'm so glad you came. Come in." The smaller male moved out of the way to let Grimmjow in. The blunet made his way inside towards the living room, taking off his jacket and throwing it over the couch. He watched Luppi come around him and sit on the couch before he planted himself next to the other male._

_Grimmjow decided to get straight to the point and talk about how he couldn't be in a relationship with Luppi anymore. He explained how sick he was feeling and that his interest in the smaller male was dwindling. He couldn't deal with the way the petite man treated other people or how clingy and dependent he was. He told Luppi how annoying it was to have to deal with him always clinging and using Grimmjow._

_Luppi sat there crying, but tried to defend himself. He knew he was clingy, but he didn't like being away from Grimmjow. He needed him to survive as if the man was his life raft in a vicious sea of problems. He needed Grimmjow by his side because he couldn't rely on anyone but the blue haired male. Grimmjow called Luppi out on that statement, claiming the man didn't have a single problem in his life._

_Luppi had a steady job that paid good money and rich parents who practically worshipped the ground he walked on. He was a spoiled brat who-if he didn't want to- didn't have to work a day in his life and could use his parent's hard-earned cash. Luppi didn't know the meaning of problems. He didn't know what it was like to live his life without a father and now be without a mother. He didn't know what it was like to stretch the money that had been saved since his very first job. He didn't know what it was like to have to deal with a snobbish, whiny and rude boyfriend for three years. Luppi didn't know shit about stress or depression._

_Luppi was furious about what Grimmjow was implying. He might have been well off, but he was not a spoiled brat. Okay, his parents did help him with a lot of bills and buy him the things that he asked for, but he did do things on his own. He did depend on Grimmjow, but he always thought he was meant to depend on his boyfriend for things. He didn't realize he had been going overboard with it._

_"Bullshit, Luppi. You know how you are around me. When it comes to me, you always cling to me and claim I'm not allowed to do anything unless it's with you. When we go out, I feel I can't even have breathing room, because you are clinging to me like some second skin. You ask me for everything. You throw your problems onto me and expect me to solve them for you. I'm not some 1-800 hotline, that's there for what you need. I have a life of my own and my own damn problems and being with you and is deterring me from them."_

_"But-"_

_"But nothing," Grimmjow interjected. "Our relationship is not healthy and it's time for both of us to move on from this. We had a long three years and though not all of it was bad, it has run its course. Our relationship wasn't moving forward and I'll be damned if I stay in an inanimate relationship with you." Grimmjow watched as tears rolled down Luppi's face. He didn't feel bad for making the smaller man cry because he was so used to seeing those fake emotions on the boy's face. They did nothing to him anymore other then annoy him to no end._

_"But we are in love. How can you feel this way?"_

_"I have never said that I loved you, Luppi. You were the one that said it. Have you ever heard those words come from my mouth?" The dark haired male flinched at the words, feeling the tears fall from his eyes harder. That hurt him more than anything else Grimmjow had said. The blunet didn't love him? All those years he had thought their love was mutual. How could he have been so stupid? He felt something in him snap. He shook his head, denial taking over his mind. Grimmjow was his and he wouldn't let the blunet leave him._

_He rose from the couch and made his way to the kitchen. He could feel the blue eyes watching him intently. "Sorry, I just need a glass of water. Want some?" He heard a faint and uncertain "sure" from the blunet, making him smile softly. He grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and made his way over to the refrigerator. He grabbed a pitcher of ice-cold water and made his way back over to the glasses. Humming softly to himself, he reached his hand out to a drawer in front of him, opening it. Slipping his hand inside, he pulled out a small packet containing two rows of white pills. He quietly opened one section, letting a pill fall to the counter._

_He slipped the packet back into the drawer and closed it. "Do you want lemon in your water?" He began to use the bottom of the cup to smash the pill into powder before swiping it into the glass. He heard Grimmjow say no and poured the ice-cold water into the glass, watching the powder dissolve as if nothing was there, with a smile. He made sure no powder was left on the bottom of the glass and poured himself some water as well._

_He made his way back and handed Grimmjow his water. He sat down next to the man and watched him drink his water as he sipped on his nonchalantly. Grimmow would never realize what happened that night. He listened to the blunet continue to speak about him breaking up with the petite man. He watched Grimmjow's eyes get heavy and he listened to his voice as it began to slur._

_He knew Grimmjow was heavy so he quickly helped him up from the couch and made it towards the bedroom, telling Grimmjow he should probably lie down if he wasn't feeling well. He pushed Grimmjow onto the bed and watched as the man passed out. He smiled to himself, humming as he started to remove Grimmjow's clothing. He was happy about what was about to happen._

**Present**

"When you came over, you wanted to talk about our relationship," Luppi started. He set down the tray of breakfast on the bed and sat down next to Grimmjow. "After a while of talking, you said that your head was hurting. I offered you some aspirin, but you didn't want to take it. When you tried to get up for a glass of water, you almost collapsed, so I helped you to the bed so you could rest. You blacked out after that. When you came to, we had a long talk and I asked for another chance at our relationship. You were skeptical at first, but I promised to change for the better and you agreed. Then we had sex."

Luppi watched Grimmjow digest the information with hopeful, lavender eyes. He needed the man to believe him. He needed to make sure Grimmjow didn't leave him. The blunet was his and he refused to give him to anyone else.

"I don't believe that for one second." Luppi kept his calm mask on, but the panic in him was rising. Grimmjow's eyes flashed with anger and he rose from the bed. His head was throbbing and his legs felt like jelly, but he brushed it off in search for his pants. "I understand the blackout and the headache, but why the fuck is my body feeling like this? Why does it feel like I was hit with a truck?" Grimmjow grabbed his jeans from the floor and slipped them on. He waited for another lie to come spilling out of Luppi's mouth as he slipped his long-sleeved shirt on.

Luppi couldn't think of a comeback. He tried desperately to think of something to say, but his throat was constricted by the way Grimmjow was glaring him down. "I-I…"

"Did we really have sex?" Grimmjow didn't give a damn about anything else right now. He didn't care if Luppi lied or if he was the one that knocked him out. He wanted to know if he really did what Luppi was telling him.

"Yes," Luppi whispered. He was sure of that. He couldn't ever forget how Grimmjow made him feel. Grimmjow shook his head in denial. He couldn't believe a word Luppi was saying. He knew the petite man wouldn't deny having sex with him, but that just made the situation that much more fucked up. He didn't want to believe that. He made his way out of the bedroom and down the hall. He looked around for his jacket and shoes and couldn't find them. He wanted to yell in frustration about his brain feeling so scrambled.

"Luppi! Where the hell is my shit?" He listened for the smaller male as he padded down the hallway and walked past him to the closet towards the front door. He followed after him and watched as the man grabbed his things from the closet.

"Gr-Grimm, please don't be mad at me. I just want another chance."

"How many times do I have to tell you? No means no. You've had plenty of chances to get your act together and I'm not waiting anymore. We are done and that's the end of it." Grimmjow slipped on his shoes and his jacket. He could feel large lavender eyes gazing into his back. He wanted to ignore them, but he could feel the anger and hurt in them. He looked over his shoulder to see Luppi looking straight at him. "Lose my number, my address and anything else that involves me."

Luppi could feel his body shaking with heartbreak. He didn't want Grimmjow to leave him. He didn't know how to love anyone else. The thought of Grimmjow being in love with someone else made him want to do unspeakable things. He balled his tiny hands into fists, his nails digging painfully into his skin. He could feel the tears rolling down his face, but he made no move to stop them. He watched as Grimmjow made his way out the apartment, closing the door behind him.

His body felt heavy and tired and he slowly fell to his knees. It was official. Grimmjow didn't want him anymore and he felt like his heart had been ripped out. He screamed his pain out into the small apartment, not caring who heard through the walls. He didn't want this. He just wanted Grimmjow to love him.

* * *

"Orihime, what are you waiting for? He needs a woman in his life now more than ever. Are you seriously going to keep your feelings under wraps all your life?" Rukia was sick and tired of seeing Inoue torture herself over her love for Ichigo. The girl needed to tell that boy how she felt and she needed to do it now.

He was single and needed someone who was willing to be there for him. "But…what if I say something wrong? I don't want to make him feel awkward."

"Awkward smawkward. How can he not like you? You are the perfect girlfriend material. He'll totally say yes and if he doesn't, he needs some sense knocked into him, which I'll be very glad to do." Orihime looked down at her balled fists. She didn't think it was such a good idea. She did love Ichigo, but what if he didn't love her back? She wouldn't know what to do.

"I…don't-"

"It'll be great. We can invite him and Renji out for the day and you can tell him. It'll be so romantic. He'll say yes and you guys will become such a cute couple." Orihime blushed at the thought of being with Ichigo. It was something she had dreamed about since they were in high school. She always wanted him to see how she looked at him and ask her out, but she guessed he didn't really see her feelings for him.

Now that he had lost his ability to see, it was her decision to finally let him know how she really felt. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Okay, call them." Rukia smiled wide and squealed with joy, dialing the orange head's number. The orange haired woman watched as her best friend talked to Renji on the phone.

"What do you mean he's busy today?" Inoue frowned when she heard that she might not get a chance to speak to Ichigo today. "He's meeting someone for lunch?" Orihime glanced at Rukia to see her sneering at the empty space in front of her. She wondered who Ichigo was going to see for lunch. Was it another woman? Did she wait too long? "Is it a woman?" Rukia listened to Renji speak, growling at the thought of Ichigo even thinking of being with another woman other than Orihime. "Then, who is it!" Rukia was getting frustrated at Renji for not giving up the details of who was taking up the orange head's time lately.

Ichigo had never been so outgoing after he left the hospital. He had always wanted to stay home and keep to himself, but now he was always out or busy. She wanted to know who this person was that was bringing this change out in him. She didn't get any answers from Renji, so she would have to get answers from Ichigo himself.

* * *

Grimmjow stood in the shower, letting the steaming water glide across his body. He couldn't believe himself. He couldn't believe he did something so stupid. Instead of doing what he had planned, it seemed he screwed the petite man as well. The fact that he couldn't remember anything made it even worse. He lowered his head to the cold tiled wall and slammed his fist against it. That was not supposed to happen. Even after the petite man had told him what happened, he still couldn't remember it.

His brain was blocking out that vital information and he didn't actually believe what Luppi said. He hated having to put his trust in the dark haired man. How could he just have a black out like that? He had never had any before and the thought made him shiver. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He didn't enjoy the feeling he was having at the time.

He stepped out of the shower, not even caring to dry himself. The water from his naked body dripped onto the white tiled bathroom floor as he padded towards his bedroom. He let the cold air and warmth from the heater waft around him as he threw himself onto his bed. He buried his face into the dark grey pillow and groaned. He had taken two steps forward with Ichigo and one-step back with Luppi. Things were getting way too complicated for him and he wished he could just take a break from everything. It was such an awful way to start his day off.

He could feel the water evaporating off of his body as he lay there, ignoring the biting chill that was creating goose bumps across his skin. He heard a soft chiming noise coming from somewhere on the floor. Lifting his head, he continued to listen and realized it was his cell phone. Grumbling, he picked himself up off of his bed and headed to the pile of clothing that he threw off after coming home. He searched for his cell phone in the middle of the pile and pulled it out.

"Hello," he answered in a bored tone, throwing himself back onto his bed and pulling the covers over him, ignoring the fact that he was still naked.

"Grimmjow, it's Ichigo." The blunet felt a slight throb in his chest at the thought of what he did last night after he had told Ichigo he enjoyed being around him. He knew they weren't a couple, but he had screwed his ex, claiming that the petite man was a pain in his ass. He felt like he had betrayed Ichigo in some way. It felt so awkward hearing the man's voice.

"Hey…what's up?"

"Are you busy today? I thought we might be able to do something." Ichigo's tone was eager and serene. Grimmjow didn't feel like doing anything with anyone that day. He wanted to be dead to the world, even if it was just for one day. "…I mean it's okay if you don't. We can, uh, do something another day." Grimmjow hated hearing the disappointment in Ichigo's voice.

"You wanna' go to lunch?" Grimmjow couldn't really think of anything exciting to do with the way his mood was, but he hoped being around Ichigo would lighten it.

"Yeah, that sounds good." The blunet smiled a little at the orange head's tone.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." After getting off the phone, Grimmjow laid there, staring at the wall. He tried to will away the broken thoughts of earlier and focus on the time he was going to spend with Ichigo. He just hoped whatever happened, that he wouldn't screw it up.

* * *

"Tell me where Ichigo went, Renji!" The petite woman sat upon the large, red haired man. She refused to budge until the man gave up the goods. Orihime stood off to the side with wide eyes, trying to stay out of the situation. She didn't think it was that serious to know where Ichigo went. She could wait for another time to talk to the orange haired male, but Rukia didn't seem to think that way.

"I told you! He went to lunch with someone!" Renji cried out as the midget of a woman sat on his chest. That didn't hurt him, but the fact that her knee was jabbing him the wrong way wasn't making the situation any less painful.

"Details!"

"Ru-Rukia, I don't think this is necessa-"

"Shhh, Orihime!" Rukia interrupted. She was going to find out where that boy went.

"Okay!" The orange haired woman squeaked. She watched as Rukia began to pinch Renji's cheeks as hard as she could. It looked so painful, but the man still refused to tell them where Ichigo had gone.

"Damn it, this isn't working!" Rukia was starting to get pissed. She glanced over at Orihime and got an exciting idea. She smiled innocently at the orange haired woman. "Hime, did you bring some of your snacks with you?" She turned her face towards Renji to see him gazing at her. "I think Renji would love to try your new recipe." His face turned into an expression of sheer horror, mouth hanging open and eyes wide.

"Okay! I'll tell you, just…please." Renji quickly explained that the pianist from the club had come to pick Ichigo up. He didn't say where they were going, but that they were going to lunch. "That's all I know, I swear." Rukia tutted and raised herself off of the red haired man. She began to make her way over to Orihime and started to pull the woman out the door with her.

"…You would never survive in the war," she murmured on her way out.

* * *

Ichigo felt uneasy. Grimmjow hadn't said one word to him since they slid into the car. The man's aura was threatening, confused and somewhat shut-off. He wanted to speak, but every time he got the courage, it quickly died in his throat. Maybe he should just tell Grimmjow to take him back home. He listened to the soft music on the radio as he felt the car smoothly driving through traffic.

"Grimmjow?"

"Yeah," the blunet growled out. He was still in a shitty mood and he knew he was fucking up his time with Ichigo.

"Uhm, is…is everything okay?" Grimmjow glanced over at Ichigo to see the man gazing in his direction. He lowered his eyes to see him twiddling his thumbs together in a nervous fashion.

"No, everything is not okay, but I don't want to dwell on it. I can deal with it later." Ichigo sighed, but ignored the want to pester Grimmjow about it anymore.

After a while they made it to the diner and slipped into a booth situated by a large window. Grimmjow stared out of it, looking at the people in their winter wear as they walked by. The snow was falling lightly and the sky looked like it had seen better days. He turned his eyes towards Ichigo to see the man looking down at his menu. He really felt like an ass for the way he was acting towards the smaller man, but he didn't know what he should do. His mind was only focusing on one thing, not wanting to focus on the positive.

He hated how Luppi could screw shit up for him, even if the petite man wasn't around. "If you really don't want to be out, you can just take me home." Grimmjow frowned and leaned back. He hated seeing Ichigo's face twisted into that deadly scowl. He enjoyed seeing the man smile and he knew it was mostly his fault.

He shook his head and pushed away his problems. "No, I'm okay. No more worries." Grimmjow and Ichigo began to talk. He finally was able to get into a better mood and focus on nothing but Ichigo. The man was actually fun to be around. They had talked about their high school lives and what their hobbies were. Grimmjow realized that he had a lot in common with the orange haired male. They enjoyed the same music, same movies, even some of the same food aside from the sweets.

He and Ichigo had gone through just about the same things during high school, being picked on just because of their hair color, which they always ended up in fights for. Grimmjow may have been a little more crooked than Ichigo with his thievery and bad acts, but it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

He watched Ichigo eat, enjoying the way the boy licked his lips and fingers. He didn't realize how erotic it could be and enjoyed it more than he probably should have. He chuckled when Ichigo had gotten pizza sauce on his nose, wondering how it even got up there. He teased Ichigo about it until Ichigo gave him a chance to help him remove it. He so wanted to lick it off, but he didn't think Ichigo was ready, so he just used his napkin.

After they finished eating, Grimmjow paid, after a little battle between Ichigo, which he had won. They stepped out into the cold, winter weather in a comfortable silence. Ichigo felt a little better about how Grimmjow was acting. The blue haired man seemed to be enjoying himself and Ichigo smiled a little.

"So, what do you want to do now?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow looked around for a minute before he smirked and grabbed Ichigo's hand, pulling him into a store.

* * *

"Rukia, are you sure we should be spying on Ichigo?" Orihime and Rukia were sitting on a bench across the street from the diner Ichigo and Grimmjow had been in, trying to be inconspicuous. After driving around for a good fifteen minutes, Rukia had spotted the car Renji had seen in front of the apartment. She had dragged poor Orihime out of the car in search for the orange haired man, when they saw him in the diner. They had promptly gone across the street to keep an eye on Ichigo and see if anything had happened.

Rukia was furious. She hated the way that blue haired punk was looking at Ichigo. Orihime was the only one that should be looking at Ichigo in a slightly loving, yet perverted way. "It's fine. We aren't doing any harm by looking. Besides, we need to figure out if this is something friendly or more serious."

"Why?" The orange haired girl didn't understand what the big deal was. It wasn't like Ichigo was out with another woman. She wasn't close-minded, but she could never see Ichigo with another man. He was too…manly. He shouted heterosexual in every way possible. At least that's what Inoue thought. "He's just out with a friend."

"…You're probably right, but we need to make sure. He is only supposed to be with you, Hime, and I refuse to have it any other way."

* * *

"Grimm? Uhm, where are we?" Ichigo frowned at the various noises surrounding him. He couldn't tell if he was at a park or a zoo and Grimmjow wasn't giving up any details.

"Just a minute, Ichi. Stand right there and I'll be back." The orange haired man did what he was told, fidgeting when he heard people whispering around him. He didn't like how he always felt as if he was on the spot.

"…Grimm?" He could hear Grimmjow's deep voice from somewhere in the distance and tried to figure out what he was saying. After a while, he heard the man's deep chuckling from in front of him. "What are you doing?"

"I'll show you." Ichigo felt Grimmjow's hand in his and he tried his best not to blush. He felt the man deposit something soft and fluffy into his hands and frowned at the feeling. Grimmjow's hands were still in his and he felt the man push his hands up towards his face. "Now, don't scare her."

"Who?" Ichigo heard a soft mewing and his eyes looked down at where the sound was coming from. He felt a soft pat to his cheek and giggled at the feline as it nuzzled his chin. "A kitten?"

"Yeah, her name is Pantera. I take care of her once in a while. My apartment doesn't allow pets, so I can't take her home."

"I didn't know you liked cats."

"My weakness, I guess." Grimmjow watched as Ichigo nuzzled the cat with his cheek. The cat seemed to really like him, considering she was such a bitch to everyone else.

"Do you wanna come home with Ichigo?" Grimmjow was surprised the orange haired man was even offering to take care of the cat. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he didn't know how capable Ichigo was in taking care of someone other than himself. "Yuzu would love you. She'd probably fawn over you instead of going to class."

"You really want to take her?" Ichigo's eyes rose to look up before they looked away. He wasn't sure if he could really take care of the cat, but it would be great company for when no one else was home. Yuzu came over everyday, so she could take care of the cat most of the time. He knew Renji wouldn't even try to help, in fear of getting scratched. Inoue loved cats, so she would probably enjoy helping out.

"I would love to, but do you really think I would be able to take care of her? I mean with…the way I am," Ichigo whispered at the end. He wanted to be able to start feeling independent. It was still difficult for him to do some things on his own and he had yet to get everything established for himself. He didn't want to be blind for the rest of his life, but he knew if he wanted to survive, he would have to deal with being blind for the time being. He was kind of upset that he had to pack away all his books and laptop because they were for someone who could see. Braille and a voice-automated computer was his next step into his new lifestyle and he seriously wasn't ready.

"I think you'd be okay. Gotta' take it one step at a time." Eventually, Ichigo bought Pantera and supplies to take care of her. He was ecstatic that he was taking a step forward in the right direction. He practically glided his way back to Grimmjow's car in a fit of bliss.

"Do you wanna hang out at my place for a while? We're having sukiyaki tonight, so it would be nice to have someone extra over. You can help me set the things up for Pantera."

"...Yeah, sounds good."

* * *

"I'm home and we have company!" Ichigo yelled into the small apartment. He toed off his shoes and slowly made his way into the home. Grimmjow followed behind him with the bag of supplies and set them down off to the side, taking off his shoes as well and closing the door behind him.

"Ichigo!"

"Renji?" The orange haired man looked in the direction of Renji's voice, hearing the panic in it. "What's wrong?" Renji caught sight of Grimmjow and his back stiffened. The words in his mouth quickly died and he was left gaping like a fish. "Oh, you remember Grimmjow, right? From the lounge club."

"Yo," Grimmjow said, lifting his hand up in a greeting motion.

"I, uh, need to speak to you for a minute, Ichigo. In private." Ichigo frowned, but let himself be dragged away by his red haired friend.

"I'll…just," Grimmjow started as the two disappeared around the corner, "be standing here…looking dumb." Grimmjow decided he would check out the small apartment. It was a decent size with light, hardwood floors. The walls were a soft gray color and the walls had picture frames adorning them. He peeked at some, realizing most of them were of Ichigo's family. The male seemed a lot younger, but he could tell it was him with that colorful hair. He noticed how much Ichigo looked like his mother and nothing like his father.

He chuckled at some of the pictures, one at the beach where Ichigo's father was attacking some poor innocent soul in the background of a beautiful family photo. There were family photos of park outings, festival walks and winter fun. He noticed how the images changed after the parents were no longer in the pictures.

Ichigo's smile had been completely wiped clean, a scowl now in its place. The boy seemed standoffish and like he didn't care about what was going on around him. That is, until you caught sight of him looking at his little sisters. There was love in his eyes. A look only a brother would have towards his siblings that he loved dearly.

He was so into looking at the photos that he didn't hear the door opening and closing or the soft voice calling into the house. "Big brother?" Grimmjow finally glanced over his shoulder to meet a small brown haired girl. He recognized her as the girl that gave him the peppermint tea that practically saved him from the painfully awful headaches.

"Yuzu?" Grimmjow turned his attention back towards Ichigo, who was coming around the corner. The kitten was still clutched in his arms as he slowly made his way over to her with a smile. "I have a surprise for you." He squatted down to her height and she came over to him. Grimmjow just watched the scene play out with azure orbs. She had the biggest smile on her face as she slowly took the kitten from Ichigo's arms.

Pantera mewed and softly licked her against her cheek, making her giggle. "Where did you get it? It's so pretty."

"It was Grimmjow's cat. He let me buy her, so I wouldn't feel lonely when everyone was gone."

"Grimmjow?" Yuzu raised her deep brown eyes and caught sight of the blue haired man. "Hey! I know you! You were that guy I gave the tea to."

"Tea?" Ichigo asked as he rose to a standing position again. "You've met him before, Yuzu?"

"Yeah, uhm, it was the day you guys went out. I saw him earlier that day. He wasn't feeling good, so I gave him a container of peppermint tea."

"Huh, talk about creepy," Renji's voice interjected.  _More like fated_ , Ichigo thought.

"Oh, well that was nice of you, Yuzu."

"More than nice. She practically saved me from becoming dependent on medication." Ichigo was surprised to hear that. He knew what that was about, having to take various medications for his headaches, eye pain and sleeping. He was glad his sister was able to help someone in need.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help. Now, I guess I should get started on dinner before Karin arrives." Yuzu handed the cat back to Ichigo and went on her way to start dinner. Ichigo stood there smiling after her before turning around. He needed to lie down for a minute. It was a shame that he didn't feel as energetic as he used to. Just being out for a couple of hours would wear him out. He didn't want to be rude to Grimmjow though, since the man was his guest.

Grimmjow could see the weariness on Ichigo's face. He guessed it had been a long day for the orange haired man. Renji eyed the blue haired man for a moment. He didn't enjoy the way that man was looking at his best friend. It just didn't sit well with him.

"Ichigo, why don't you go lay down for a bit? I'm sure your guest wouldn't mind." Ichigo was hesitant, but when Grimmjow confirmed it was okay, he cautiously made his way to his bedroom. Renji and Grimmjow watched to make sure he didn't get himself lost and was relieved when the male made it safely to his destination. The red head turned his attention back to the blunet, glaring up at him. "I don't like you."

"Not my concern."

"It is when you are messing around with my best friend's feelings. Don't drag him into whatever game you are playing. He's vulnerable enough as it is and he doesn't need some cocky fag of a man putting ideas in his head." Grimmjow was pissed at what the red haired man was saying. If Ichigo's sister wasn't about two feet away, the red pineapple would have been thrown into a wall.

"What the fuck is your problem? Is it that you don't want to see Ichigo happy with another man unless it's you?" Renji's face paled and Grimmjow realized he had hit the nail on the head. Jealously wasn't a very nice thing. "So that _is_  the problem. You are playing the best friend role, when you want to be something more than that. And you say I'm messing around with his feelings. I've confirmed to him how I feel, but you're sitting here acting like you're being there for him, when you are probably just exercising your weird fantasies about him. Don't fucking huddle me up with your ass. I've got more balls than that." Grimmjow watched as Renji's russet eyes went ablaze and caught sight of the man's arm as it swung his way. He dodged the blow, grabbing the red head by his wrist, twisting it into an awkward angle and making Renji grunt in pain. He sneered down at the red haired man before looking up and catching sight of Yuzu looking at them both with large eyes.

That was the last thing he wanted her to see. To be invited into Ichigo's home only to start trouble. He quickly let go of Renji's wrist and backed up away from him. He made his way down the hall and towards Ichigo's bedroom, not giving Renji enough time to protest. He slipped into the boy's bedroom and closed the door behind him. Pantera was lying on the pillow next to Ichigo's face, but lifted her head when she heard the door close.

Grimmjow made his way closer to the bed and hesitated for a minute before sitting upon the bed. Ichigo's eyes blinked open when he felt the dip and looked out in front of him. "Renji?"

"Naw…"

"Grimmjow? What are you doing in here?" Ichigo raised his head and stared out in front of him.

"I'm leaving. Something…came up and I won't be able to stay." Ichigo's relaxed face turned into a frown and he pulled himself completely into a sitting position.

"But, I thought-"

"I know and I'm sorry. I just think I should go." Ichigo gazed out into the space in front of him before lowering his eyes.

"Did Renji say something to you?"

"…No." Ichigo looked back up.

"You're lying. What did he say?"

"…"

"Fine, don't tell me, but…just stay. Fuck what Renji or anyone else said. I like being around you and that's the only thing that matters." Grimmjow continued to watch as the white orbs looked at him. He looked away and sighed. He hated disappointing Ichigo, but he didn't feel like he should be there. He started to rise up off the bed, when Ichigo's hand shot out and touched his hand.

Grimmjow looked at the long smooth fingers wrapped around his. "Don't, Grimmjow. I really want you to stay." He watched as those long fingers trailed their way up his arm. They smoothed over his shoulder and came to the side of his neck. They lingered against the side of his neck and Grimmjow sighed, enjoying the feel of them. The fingers continued their journey up the blunet's strong jaw and down towards his chin. Grimmjow's eyes shifted and looked up, seeing Ichigo move closer to him.

He felt Ichigo's other hand join in and continued to watch the orange head's face as he caressed his own. He felt the appendages ghost over his cheeks, like a warm breeze. Ichigo's face showed curiosity and Grimmjow wished that the boy showed it more often. Fingers trailed over the bridge of his nose and down before they touched his lips. Grimmjow closed his eyes when he felt Ichigo's other hand began to run its fingers through his hair. He was glad most of the gel had disappeared and all that was left was his normal soft hair.

"Your hair is so soft," Ichigo whispered. Grimmjow just hummed in return, feeling content at feeling the fingers massage his scalp. He wouldn't admit to loving when people played with his hair. The fingers on his lips were stationary and trembling slightly. "Grimmjow…" He heard Ichigo breathe his name, but he made no move to open his eyes. He felt hot breath ghost over his cheek before soft trembling lips pressed where the fingers had been. Grimmjow's brain could have fried for how much that kiss turned him on.

It wasn't rough or needy. It was gentle and unfamiliar and as soon as it started, it had ended. A simple, exploratory, chaste kiss. It had been initiated by Ichigo, someone who had never kissed a person in his whole entire life, but the passion and dedication in it spoke wonders. Grimmjow opened his eyes and noticed he was only a hairsbreadth away from Ichigo, staring deep into clouded eyes. Long fingers were still running themselves through his hair and gliding across his cheek. Before he could speak a word, the moment was destroyed by a banging sound to the door.

Ichigo sighed and backed away from Grimmjow and slid off of the bed. He didn't speak of what had just happened or how the kiss was making his heart flutter and his brain melt. He made his way towards the door, placing his hand onto the knob.

"C-can you bring Pantera when you're ready?" Ichigo didn't wait for an answer and left through the open door. Grimmjow still sat there, his lips wet and tingling. Never in his life had a kiss made him feel the way he was feeling. His heart pounded in his ears and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. He didn't know what the feeling was, but it didn't feel bad one bit.

He slid off of the bed, grabbing the tiny feline. It mewed and clung to him, making sure it didn't fall. Grimmjow's head was swimming with thoughts and his heart was filled with emotions he had never felt before. What did it all mean? Why was he feeling this way now? And was it really all the fault of a man who saw nothing in the world, but darkness?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a song selection in this chapter the you may want to listen to, but it is not required. All music I have chose for this fiction is based off of the feelings of the story.

Dinner was a little more awkward than Ichigo wanted it to be. Everyone was silent and not a single word had been said since everyone sat down. The soft sound of chopsticks clinking against the plates and chewing was the only thing to be heard. Ichigo could even hear the purring of Pantera as he chewed his food in silence. He could feel the murderous aura coming off of Renji, but wasn't sure what had made it come about. The silence was driving him crazy, so he decided to strike up some kind of conversation.

"So, Yuzu, how was school today?" The brown haired girl looked up from her plate and cleared her throat.

"It was good. We got our tests back today and I got a 98." Ichigo smiled at how happy Yuzu sounded. She always did so well in school and he was very proud of her.

"Congratulations and what about you, Karin?"

"…" Ichigo frowned when she didn't respond to him. He heard Yuzu whispering to his dark haired sister, but she refused to say anything.

"Karin, what's wrong?" He heard a set of chopsticks being thrown to the plate and the chair being pushed out. Ichigo swallowed the lump in his throat and looked down. Karin had been a little unresponsive since Ichigo had become blind and she refused to hold any type of conversation with her older brother. The day he stepped out of the hospital and came home, the first words from her mouth were,  _"You aren't even the same Ichigo anymore."_  He couldn't deny that. He wasn't his old self, but they were all going to have to get used to it. Karin had still refused to acknowledge Ichigo as her big brother. Her snarky remarks and down turning sarcasm was the only thing that Ichigo received from her, other than the complete silence.

He tried to ignore it, but it hurt him to know that Karin didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. It wasn't like it was his fault he was the way he was. It was as if she was blaming him for being blind.

"She's just not feeling good, Ichigo. I'll go make sure she's okay." The orange haired man listened as Yuzu's tiny feet padded across the floor and disappeared.

"I apologize for that, Grimmjow." He thought that this would be a nice end to an exciting day, but everything was going down hill fast. "She gets a little anti-social every now and then."

"It's okay. On the other hand, this is some damn good beef." Ichigo chuckled as he moved his chopsticks around his plate and felt for a bit of food. "Does Yuzu always cook for you?" Ichigo nodded, chewing on a piece of broccoli.

"Yeah, I'm not used to my surroundings yet, so I can't cook like I used to and Renji is kitchen illiterate. He burns anything that has to do with heat."

"I do not!"

"Renji, you burned a plate of food when you wanted to heat it up in the microwave. We almost had to get a new microwave because of you."

"That wasn't my fault. It said 3 minutes, so that's what I put it on."

"You put it on 30 minutes than went off to play some stupid video game. Regardless, he's not allowed to go near anything that has to do with cooking. I'm surprised he hasn't broken the refrigerator yet."

"Whatever…," Renji mumbled. Grimmjow chuckled over the two. He could see Ichigo loved to rattle the red head up. It seemed both of them had flaming tempers and would go back and forth at each other. "Don't laugh asshole. That shit ain't funny."

"You're right, it isn't. It's funny as hell."

"How about I stuff my fist down your throat? Then we'll see who's laughing."

"Tch, anytime, anyplace, I'll kick your ass." Grimmjow sneered over Ichigo's head at the red haired man. He was about sick and tired of hearing that fool talk shit to him.

"What is wrong with you two? Too much testosterone build up?"

"No, it's just that blue haired assholes make me sick," Renji said, still glaring daggers at Grimmjow.

"Well, get over it, because you will be seeing a lot of that asshole." Ichigo rose from the table and reached his hand out to the table, feeling for his plate. He picked it up and cautiously made his way over to the sink. "Now, if you two would be so kindly as to bring your dishes over here, that would help me a little."

Grimmjow ignored the fact that Ichigo called him an asshole to help bring the rest of the plates over. He knew he could be an asshole sometimes, so it didn't really bother him. "Ichigo, are you sure you should be washing dishes?" Grimmjow sighed when Renji's voice spoke out into the dining area. Was that guy seriously asking that?  _Great way to bring down Ichigo's self-esteem, dick wad._

"I'll be fine, Renji. Quit worrying so damn much." Ichigo's voice sounded annoyed as he started to fill the sink with hot water.

"But-"

"Why don't you go into the living room and do some squat thrusts or something," Grimmjow said. He smirked over his shoulder before turning his attention towards Ichigo at the sink. He could hear Renji cursing under his breath and scooting his chair across the floor.

Ichigo shook his head at the red head's action and slipped his hands into the steaming hot water, loving the feel. "He is such an idiot sometimes."

"I can imagine. So, want me to help?" Grimmjow stood next to Ichigo with his hands on the edge of the counter. He watched as Ichigo pulled a plate from the water and started to scrub at it with a yellow sponge. He ran his hand over the plate to make sure no particles were left before slipping it back into the water. He used his other hand to turn on the faucet and change the setting of the water to a much cooler temperature. Ichigo pulled the plate back out and started to rinse the plate under the water before handing it off to Grimmjow.

"You can dry." They worked in a comfortable silence, neither one of them really wanting to talk about what happened in the bedroom. It didn't make them feel awkward, but they knew if they started to speak of it, that that feeling would change.

Ichigo really didn't understand why he kissed Grimmjow. He had never taken that kind of step with anyone. It may not have been a big thing to someone else, but to him it was a serious matter. First off, he still didn't even know if he was into men. He guessed it was kind of late to even think about that considering he pecked the blunet on the lips. Those soft, moist lips. He still couldn't get rid of the tingling feeling kissing Grimmjow had given him. He couldn't deny that he wanted to do it again.

He sighed at the thought of feeling those lips against his again. He handed off another plate to Grimmjow and his body jolted when his fingers touched Grimmjow's calloused ones. The plate dropped to the floor and shattered, scaring Pantera who scattered away.

"Shit." Ichigo dropped down to pick it up.

"Ichigo, don't! You're going to-" Before he could finish his sentence, Ichigo cut his hand on the side of the broken plate. He pulled his hand back, hissing as the air hit the long cut on his palm. "Shit, come here." Grimmjow pulled Ichigo up by his wrist and slipped his hand under the cold water to rinse the blood off. The blunet inspected the wound, but was relived when it wasn't too deep. "You're lucky it didn't cut deeper. Where is your first aid kit?"

"I don't know," Ichigo whispered. "Yuzu usually takes care of that. I don't know where she put it." The orange haired man frowned when he heard Grimmjow sigh and lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Grimmjow shut off the faucet and led Ichigo over to the table. "Sit here. I'll ask the meat head if he knows where one is." After cleaning up the plate, he went on a search for the red pineapple. "Hey, Pineapple!"

"What!" A door flung open and long, red hair and tattooed eyebrows popped up. Grimmjow was surprised the man was that attractive with his hair down. Too bad he was a douche bag.

"Where's the first aid kit?" Renji frowned and pulled the door open the rest of the way. He stepped out, shirtless, showing off his intricate tribal tattoos. They ran down his body and disappeared behind low hanging pants.

"There's one in the guest bathroom. In the medicine cabinet." Renji watched as the blunet made his way towards the bathroom. "Why?" he asked, following behind him.

"Don't worry about it," Grimmjow growled without turning to look at Renji. The red head sneered up at the blunet, watching him remove the kit from the cabinet and make his way back towards the kitchen. He walked to the corner and looked around it to see Grimmjow walking over to the table and sitting down across from Ichigo.

His brows creased and he made his way over towards them. He saw the cut on Ichigo's hand and his blood rose. "I told you it wasn't a good idea for you to wash the dishes." Ichigo tried to ignore Renji's rage induced speech about how it was dangerous to do such a thing and blah, blah, blah.

"Dude, shut the fuck up. He doesn't need you pestering him about ridiculous things." The orange head was happy that Grimmjow was getting the red head to leave him alone. He had long given up on trying to tell Renji otherwise. The man was just as stubborn as he was and no amount of talking was going to change that. He really hoped Grimmjow could get some sense into him.

"Don't interfere,  _stranger_. This is your fuckin' fault. He knows he can't do these things." Grimmjow was about ready to burst, but tried to stay focused on treating Ichigo's wound. For someone who claimed to be Ichigo's best friend, he sure was doing a lousy job.

Without looking up from Ichigo's wound, Grimmjow responded. "You are such an asshole. Do you really think Ichigo is  **that**  handicapped? Anyone can cut their hand on a fuckin' broken dish. Shit, they can slice their finger open with perfect vision." He began to wrap the disinfected cut with a piece of gauze. "Don't act as if he can't do normal things just because he's blind. What is wrong with you? Seriously? Ichigo is Ichigo regardless if he's blind or not. Stop being so over protective and offensive about everything. How is that going to help the situation or even Ichigo's pride?"

Ichigo was shocked at what had come out of Grimmjow's mouth. It was true that what Renji said usually bothered him, but he didn't think anyone else would think the same thing. Most people he came into contact with always treated him like someone who couldn't do things by himself. He knew he couldn't do everything, but he was glad someone else was at least giving him the benefit of the doubt. Renji just stared down at Grimmjow with a speechless expression. He didn't know what to comeback with and it pissed him off.

He hated when someone made him feel stupid, especially in front of other people. Before he even thought, his arm shot out and his fist connected to the side of Grimmjow's cheek. Everything seemed to freeze and Ichigo's eyes were wide. He didn't see, but he heard the wind flowing and the crunching sound. Renji wanted to hiss at the pain in his knuckles, but didn't.

Grimmjow could feel the blood in his mouth and the throbbing pain in his cheek. He saw red and rose from his seat, launching himself onto the red head and tackling him to the ground. His fist connected to Renji's face, once, twice, thrice before Yuzu and Karin came running down the hall. He couldn't hear anything around him and enjoyed the feeling of his fist connecting to flesh.

Yuzu was screaming for him to stop, but he made no move to. Ichigo finally yelled for him to stop and his body froze. He looked down and noticed how bloody Renji's face was. The man's eyes were swollen and his lip and nose was busted. Blood was everywhere. He quickly retreated from the broken form, watching as Karin and Yuzu ran to the red head's side. He shakily brought his hand to his mouth before pulling it away, looking down at how bloody it was. He glanced over at Ichigo to see the boy staring in the direction of where the fight had been.

He backed away and made his way over to the door and quickly slipped into his shoes. "Grimmjow?" The man couldn't answer Ichigo. He felt ashamed for being able to be baited by the red head. "…Grimmjow?" He let the boy continue to call him, refusing to answer.

He opened the door, gripping the side of it tightly. His hand leaving the light wood stained with blood. He cursed under his breath and started to make his way out. "Sorry, Ichigo," was the last thing he said before leaving, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Grimmjow's eyes were unseeing as he drove the empty streets. He was going on instinct and routine. His hand clutched the steering wheel in a death grip, trying hard to figure out what had gone wrong. He wanted to know how his rage had the best of him. It had been a long time since he went into a fit of blind rage and he was worried that he actually did something that wouldn't be forgiven. He knew Renji was just being an asshole, but he was trying his damnedest to keep his cool.

 

Time and time again, he would try to control his temper, but it seemed that it would control him. It had always gotten him into bad situations. He pulled over and stopped his car before leaning his head back against the headrest.

What did this mean for his chances with Ichigo? He practically beat the man's friend to a bloody pulp. Was this the end of them trying to make something between them? And even after that amazing kiss. He sighed and looked out the passenger window. He couldn't believe he had went there of all places. He turned his car off and stepped out into the biting cold air. He walked around the front of it and headed towards the one place he knew he could get his mind off of things.

He pulled the dark wood door open and stepped into the lounge club that he was so familiar with. He headed towards the bathroom, knowing he could never stain the one thing he loved with someone else's blood. It wouldn't be right and he practically forbade it of himself. His mind was running like clockwork now, trying to think of ways to salvage what he had done earlier. He knew that he would never apologize to the red head because, well, he did nothing wrong. It wasn't the problem of kicking Renji's ass. It was the problem of how it was going to affect his relationship with Ichigo.

He stepped out of the bathroom and made a beeline straight for the grand piano situated in its normal home. The gleaming black spoke to him, shining and sparkling with the want of being played. He didn't notice the weird looks coming from Shunsui as the man filled a few glasses with alcohol. He slowly made his way up the dark wood stairs of the platform and sat upon the black bench. He ran his fingers over the obsidian lid that was keeping him separated from the long ebony and ivory keys. Flipping it, he sighed and ran his fingers over the cold origins of melody. His body relaxed and he would let the anger and confusion he felt flow into the beautiful instrument before him.

* * *

Ichigo sat in the waiting room of a sterile hospital as Renji was getting fixed up. A broken nose, fractured jaw and two black eyes, not to mention how hard Grimmjow had tackled the red haired man to the ground and sat on him, breaking a few ribs. In laymen terms, Grimmjow had fucked Renji up. The man would probably think twice about attacking an opponent he knew nothing about. Ichigo didn't even want to be there, but he knew he wouldn't hear the end of it. He wasn't even mad at Grimmjow. He had known it wasn't the blunet's fault and if Renji hadn't swung the first punch, he might not have had his face looking like a smashed tomato.

 

He sighed and felt for his watch, pressing the side of it so he could hear what time it was.  _6:24pm_. He wondered if Grimmjow was home and if he was, should he call him? He didn't want to leave things how they were and have the blunet thinking he hated him. He scowled, trying to think of a solution.

"Hurry up and go to him." Ichigo was shocked to hear Karin's voice flooding through his ears. He turned in the direction the voice came from. It felt like he hadn't heard her neutral voice in so very long. It was always laced with anger and disappointment. He was confused about what she was saying and stared in her direction with confusion. "You like him, right? Go tell him it wasn't his fault."

"But-"

"We all know how stubborn Renji's temper can be. I don't think for one second that other guy started it, though his eyes did look a little angry." Ichigo's mind really wasn't on Grimmjow anymore. He still couldn't believe Karin was speaking to him.

"You're…talking to me." He heard her sigh and tap her foot against the tiled floor. "You haven't said anything…normal to me for months."

"Don't get your panties in a bunch. I was just…mad, okay? It's just hard seeing you like this." She walked over and sat next to Ichigo and interlocked her fingers together. "I hate seeing that vulnerable look on your face. I remember seeing it after our parents died. I was little back then, so of course I didn't understand it, but now I'm a little older."

"Karin, I-"

"No, Ichigo. I'm sorry for blaming you for something that wasn't your fault. Ugh, I sound so mushy. Look, whatever, I'm not mad anymore, okay? So, just go back to being my big brother."

"…I never stopped." Karin frowned, but stood up from the chair.

"Whatever, just go see that blue haired guy…before you lose someone else that means a little something to you." Ichigo sat there and listened as Karin's footsteps disappeared. He couldn't believe his sister had actually said something decent to him. He smiled, glad that there wasn't any permanent damage keeping them from having a normal sibling relationship. He needed his sisters more than he needed anything else in his life. He rose from the plastic chair and looked around. He had been to that hospital before, but he didn't remember the layout. He knew if he moved one-step he would confuse himself and get lost.

"Can I help you, sir?" Ichigo frowned when he heard a feminine voice coming from in front of him. He guessed he would have to ignore his pride for the moment.

"Uh…yeah. I need help calling for a cab."

* * *

Ichigo sat in the back of the cab, riding to his destination. Before he left, he had called Grimmjow on his cell phone numerous times, but the man wouldn't pick up. He figured it was either not around him or he was just completely ignoring it. He hoped that when he made it to the lounge club that the man would be there. It was the most logical place other than the blunet's apartment, which he didn't know the location of.

 

He felt the cab slow to a stop and he pulled out some money. He slipped out of the car, unfolding his walking stick. He handed the man a ten-dollar bill, hoping it was enough. He didn't get any lip from the driver and quickly but cautiously made his way into the lounge club. As soon as he stepped through the door, his ears were assaulted by the most heart throbbing music he had ever heard. He instantly knew it was Grimmjow. Though the music sounded angry and sorrowful, he could tell who was creating that music.

_[Requiem for a Dream (Lux Aeterna) - Clint Mansell]_

He reached his hand out to feel for a booth and slowly made his way down and through the sets of booths. He finally came to one where the music was a little more distinct and he sat down, folding his walking stick and placing it on the booth next to him. Ichigo looked into the direction of the piano and let the music flow around him. He knew Grimmjow was angry from the way the man was a playing the piano, but he didn't realize what was tearing him up so badly. The slamming of the keys was almost threatening in a way. It felt like he was completely taking his frustration out on the instrument before him. What a way to take all of your anger out.

He had heard the song being played before, but never in a way that made his heart thunder, his skin form goose bumps and his body shiver. So much fire, pain and so much beauty. He could feel it penetrating and spreading throughout his whole body, like a poisonous arrow. Was what had happened earlier really bothering the blunet that much that he had to come here and play? Was this song an affirmation of what the man was feeling? He could perceive it as so many things, but he didn't like the fact that Grimmjow was angry. Though the harmony was astonishing, it was bone chilling and quite frankly, it frightened him.

* * *

Grimmjow's face was glistening with sweat. His fingers throbbed with pain and his heart was thundering in his body. He could feel his hair sticking to his forehead and his white cotton t-shirt was clinging to his body. He was angry with himself. He was angry about how he always dealt with things. He was angry with how his life was. Angry with Luppi. Angry about his money problems. Angry that his mother left him. He was angry about how he was too afraid to even achieve his goals. What kind of man was he? How could he let life push him around? Twenty-four and nothing to show for it other than playing the piano. Was that how he really wanted to live the rest of his life? Working as a lowly pianist in a lounge club in the middle of a small town like Karakura?

 

What happened to his dream of becoming a composer? What happened to his pursuit to find someone for himself? Was love even an option in his lifetime? He really didn't care much for the thing called love, but being alone sounded so pathetic. He couldn't say he enjoyed being with Luppi, but being with Ichigo? That was something he could do on a daily basis. Something that made his heart drum in his chest and his lips tingle. The feelings he had for the man were an enigma. He didn't know if he enjoyed the fact that Ichigo saw things in a totally different light or the fact that the man was practically innocence in human form. He sighed as his thoughts and the music were starting to drain the energy from his body. He was glad that he was finally ending because he refused to stop in the middle of the song. He continued to play, creating the thunderous melody coming from the piano. He was glad that he had pushed most of his anger out and now that the song was over, he could go home and pass out.

His hands slipped off of the keyboard and he opened his eyes, tears rolling down from them. What a pussy! Was he really feeling that bad? He wanted to chuckle, but forgave himself for brushing off that want. The people that had been occupying the booths at the club clapped and whistled, but he ignored them all when he saw fiery orange hair and clouded white eyes looking in his direction. Was he dreaming? Was this even real? He would pinch himself if it wouldn't make him feel like a complete idiot. He rose from the bench and descended the stairs. He didn't even care that he was perspiring from his forehead or that his t-shirt was drenched in sweat or even that his face had tearstains. He was a real piece of work at the moment.

He sat at the table across from Ichigo and gazed at him for a while. He just wanted to look at the man who couldn't even see him. The man that changed his perspective on things with one, simple kiss. His lips trembled with want and he finally pulled his cerulean eyes away from the clouded ones.

"What are you doing here, Ichigo?" He watched as the smaller male's brows furrowed in concentration. The boy lowered his eyes to his hands that were gripping each other tight on the dark wood table.

"I-I wanted to come see if you were…okay," Ichigo whispered.

"I left for a reason. You really shouldn't have come here. I'm not the kind of man you should be around." He could see the orange haired man's lips trembling and the long smooth fingers shaking.

"I-I'm sorry for what Renji did and I-"

"Don't apologize for that asshole. I didn't leave because of him."

"Then why did you leave?" Grimmjow pressed his lips together. He didn't want to tell Ichigo that he felt like a coward, afraid of how Ichigo would react. He fled like the pussy he was. He had wanted to stay, but seeing the blood on his hands and the confused look on Ichigo's face made him feel like he had done something horrible. He had felt like a child who was about to get scolded by his mommy. "Grimmjow?"

"Shit, Ichigo…I don't…know," he said. He had lied. LIED! Why did he have to lie? Ichigo wouldn't have care if he was a coward, if he was scared of a normal reaction. He didn't feel that way though. He felt like his actions would determine if Ichigo ever wanted to talk to him again. He didn't want to seem like he was gutless, but at that moment he felt like the only possible thing to do was flee.

"You are such an idiot!" Grimmjow's eyes went wide at how loud Ichigo's voice was. He knew people were looking in their direction.

"Wh-wha?" He watched as Ichigo slid around to his side of the booth. He didn't understand what was going on. Was Ichigo going to hit him for what he did to Renji? He probably deserved it. He would take it if that was his fate. He stared down into white eyes again, trying to gauge what Ichigo was thinking.

"Idiot, such an idiot." Ichigo leaned over until he was close enough to Grimmjow to feel hot breath against his lips. Grimmjow was frozen and didn't know what to do. He felt soft lips press against his and groaned at the feeling. It was just as tingly as the first time. He could feel Ichigo's hands clinging to his wet shirt, yanking it to get closer to him. Ichigo pulled away too quickly for the blunet and he looked down at the shorter man. Half-lidded white eyes were looking forward and Ichigo was softly panting. "You know that?" Ichigo breathed against Grimmjow's lips.

"I…do now," the blunet responded before capturing Ichigo's lips. He was much needier than the smaller male. He pressed his lips harder, running his tongue along the bottom of Ichigo's, asking for entrance. The orange haired man gladly gave in and opened his mouth letting the blunet in. It was so hard to try to suppress the urge to moan against the bigger man's lips. His hands gripped tighter to the wet shirt and he leaned in, pressing his clothed chest against Grimmjow's.

Ichigo's hands were quivering and his body felt like it was on fire. He felt one of Grimmjow's hands slide across his neck to the back of it, tilting it for better access of his mouth. His other one ran up Ichigo's thigh, gripping the boy's hip. He let the blunet caress his tongue with his as his breath was practically being taken away. He needed air badly, but he didn't want to stop kissing the man in front of him. He just hoped that he didn't pass out.

He whined and Grimmjow slowly let go of his lips, letting a string of saliva connect them before it broke. Hooded azure eyes looked down into hooded white ones and he sighed. He had really needed that. The innocent kiss was okay, but he was a man that loved to get a little rough every now and then. He wanted to say something, but his brain felt like mush at the moment, so he just stared. He didn't notice the ladies that were looking their way with heart shaped eyes or the way Shunsui was practically chuckling at how open they were being.

Ichigo swallowed his heart which had been lodged in his throat and looked away. He could feel Grimmjow's eyes on him and he needed to say something for the awkwardness to go away. "Uhm…" Ichigo realized that his hands were still gripping the t-shirt and he slowly removed them, grimacing at how wet his hands were. "You're wet…and you stink." He scrunched up his nose in emphasis.

Grimmjow couldn't even be mad. He chuckled loudly and listened as Ichigo joined in with a giggle. He felt great, like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. It was amazing what that little berry could do to him. He sighed, still chuckling quietly as he looked down at Ichigo. "Seriously…you stink. You need a shower."

"Yeah, yeah okay."


	6. Chapter 6

**6 Weeks Later**

The dimly lit room was filled with soft sobbing and sorrowful murmurs. The normal soft and smooth lavender bed sheets were crumpled in a heap and a figure sat in the very middle. He stared down at his tiny fingers, trying to figure out how he let Grimmjow slip through them. He had thought everything was going perfect. The three years they had been together had been everything to him and he didn't think he could ever love a man as much as he loved Grimmjow.

He heard the soft voice of his mother in his ear, but all he could think about was getting his boyfriend back.

"Luppi, honey, calm down." He shook his head. He didn't want to calm down. He wanted to let the tears roll down his face. He wanted his hair to look a mess, his skin to be dry and cracking. Why should he care what he looked like? No one was there to kiss him. No one was there to tell him how sexy or how cute he looked. No one was even there to touch him or enjoy the feel of him.

"Grimmjow will come back, dear," his mother whispered. "He loves you. He doesn't have anyone else, remember?" Luppi glanced to the side of the bed, the small, purple cell phone cradled against his ear. He looked at the framed photo of him and Grimmjow from last summer. Smiling. He hadn't seen Grimmjow smile in such a very long time. The man was looming over him, arms wrapped around his tiny waist. The feeling of being protected and wanted had always surrounded him.

Grimmjow never gave the impression that he didn't want or love Luppi, so the blunet leaving was so hard to get over. "You have to fight for him, Luppi. He wants someone who is willing to fight." The feminine man looked back down at the sheets. His mother was right. Grimmjow had said he wanted someone who could stand on his own two feet and be strong. He slowly raised his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes. He needed to fight to get Grimmjow back, no matter what that meant.

"Thank you, mommy." He could practically hear the smile on his mother's face. He refused to let this bring him down. He would stand on his own two feet and get his man back. A creepy, unnerving smile slowly turned on his lips and he looked down at the glinting silver on his bed. He reached his hand out and slowly slid his fingers across the cold object. The handle set in dark wood with an etched signature on the side. No one would get in his way and if they did, he would just have to cut them down.

* * *

Orihime sat in a mustard colored leather chair situated in a quiet corner of a coffee shop. The quiet music was backdropped to the chatter of other customers. She was sitting there, waiting for Rukia to join her for their normal girl talk. It had been six weeks since she found out that Ichigo was seeing the blue haired club pianist. In her heart, it just didn't feel right. Why would the oranget want him instead of her? Wasn't she perfect enough for him? She had never thought Ichigo would even be into men. She had always thought he was just holding out for the right girl, or at least…her. She sighed and looked down at her tangerine spiced tea.

 

She guessed she should have said something long ago. Maybe if she hadn't doubted herself, she would be with Ichigo now. She frowned; her normal, large, happy gray eyes were filled with sadness. She didn't think it would hurt so much when she found out Ichigo found someone else, but her heart throbbed and thumped with disappointment and heartache.

She glanced up when the door chimed, to see Rukia walking in. She watched the gnome-like woman make her way over to the counter and order before heading her way. The dark haired woman sat down across from Orihime, setting her Chappy purse down next to her. She interlocked her fingers on top of the round wood table and gazed at her best friend. She knew Orihime was hurting, but she refused to let the woman stay that way. She would find a way to get Ichigo back on the right side. Ichigo's clouded judgment was something she would have to rectify herself. She didn't understand how the man could choose the pianist over Inoue.

The woman that had been there for him, even before his accident and practically stayed everyday with him at the hospital. The woman who refused to live her life, just so she could make sure Ichigo was alright. How could he choose some punk with gifted hands, over a woman with a big heart? She shook her head and sighed. That boy was just confused and she would just have to set him straight, one way or another.

* * *

Ichigo sat on his bed, cross-legged. The soft purring of Pantera could be heard from the section in-between them. It was just like any other day that he would be home alone. Renji was at work and Yuzu and Karin wouldn't be around until after school. He clutched the cordless phone and listened as Grimmjow's sultry and smooth voice spoke into his ear. He couldn't help but smile at how giddy it made him feel when he heard the blunet speak.

 

He had called earlier, only to be seized by Grimmjow's voice as he just woke up. It was something Ichigo had quickly locked away in his mind. The man's voice always made his body tingle, but to hear that raspy, quiet and deep tone was enough to make his body quiver. If he was a woman, he would probably be giggling with delight. It surprised him that he had started spending a lot of time with the blunet. He was still trying to figure out his feelings for the older man. Over the last six weeks, they had spent a great amount of time with each other and it was hard not wanting to be around Grimmjow.

He knew Renji's attitude towards him was all because of Grimmjow. The red head didn't hide the fact that he plainly despised the blunet. The rude remarks and distinguishing mood had gotten, worse week after week and he didn't understand why Renji just couldn't be happy for him. The fact that he had got his ass handed to him probably didn't make the situation better, but that wasn't Ichigo's problem. He just wished that Renji would be happy that he wasn't moping around and feeling upset about his predicament.

"Do you have work tonight?" Ichigo asked after a while. He knew Grimmjow usually worked on a Wednesday night, but he was hoping there was a change of plans. He really enjoyed going out to other places with the bigger man. They mostly went to places where Ichigo didn't have to do much seeing. Concerts and the movies were always the most fun. Ichigo always enjoyed listening to how Grimmjow interpreted whatever was on the screen in his own way. He liked the little things the blunet did as well, the subtle touches and ways just to get closer to him. Or how when they would be in a secluded area, Grimmjow would use that chance to plant kisses anywhere his lips could reach.

Ichigo had been enjoying the attention more than he thought he would and he knew it was only a matter of time before things would get a little more serious. He really didn't know if he was ready to even take it one-step further. He did enjoy how things were going now, but he knew Grimmjow had needs. He didn't like for the man to have to wait. He didn't know what had gone on with Grimmjow's ex, but he was sure they had been in a very intimate relationship.

Grimmjow's soft, deep voice made him slip from his thoughtful state. "Mmmm, yeah. Sucks, but I'm only doing my waiter shift."

"No piano tonight?"

"No piano tonight. My boss said he wanted to talk to me about something serious. It's kind of unnerving."

"Why?" Grimmjow made a noise and Ichigo could hear the shifting of sheets and the bed creaking.

"Whenever he wants to talk about things, it always turns into something…bad." Ichigo hummed, but wasn't sure he really understood. Whenever he spent time at the lounge, Aizen seemed like a nice man. He was calm and always spoke in high regard of Grimmjow.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it will be fine. He doesn't seem like an evil man or anything."

Grimmjow sighed. "…He's just hard to understand, that's all."

"Like you." He smiled when Grimmjow chuckled.

"I'm hard to understand? I'm sorry."

"It's not a bad thing. It kind of makes you unpredictable and spontaneous."

"Makes me sound…romantic," Grimmjow rumbled, making Ichigo blush.

"…Sh-shut up." Grimmjow chuckled low before groaning loud into the phone. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"…I'm- wait, are you thinking nasty thoughts?"

"N-no! Of course not! Y-you are just groaning and I thought…Shut up!" Grimmjow cackled loud. His laughter was deep and it would be infectious if Ichigo wasn't trying to be mad at the bigger man.

"You were so thinking something naughty. It's alright, we all think about those kinds of things."

"…Whatever," Ichigo mumbled. "Don't you have to get ready for work or something?"

"Did I make you mad? You know I'm just playing, but…yeah I do gotta get ready for work." Ichigo frowned. He didn't want to get off of the phone. He enjoyed listening to Grimmjow's voice. "But I'll call you when I get home, sound good?"

Ichigo smiled and lowered his clouded eyes. "Yeah…sounds good." He said his goodbyes and hung up the phone. He set it down next to his leg and sighed, trying to figure out what he was going to do now that his time wasn't being preoccupied by Grimmjow.

* * *

Grimmjow chuckled as he threw his phone onto the bed. He laid back and looked up at the ceiling. He really couldn't believe so much time had gone past. A month and two weeks? Everyday had gone by so fast. Not one day had dragged on, while spending time with Ichigo. Sometimes he wished it had, because it was just far too enjoyable to ever want it to end. Life was…comfortable. He cracked a little smile. He felt good. He didn't feel like he had to jump through hoops to make Ichigo happy. He could be himself. He could ignore that his flaws were showing. He always knew he wasn't perfect, but before it was like he was always being reminded of that. Even though he felt the need to impress Ichigo, he didn't have to.

 

Ichigo didn't care how much money he made or what kind of clothing he wore. All the orange haired man cared about was being happy. He cared that Grimmjow was happy. Whether he was some club pianist, concert pianist or some famous composer, Ichigo just wanted the blunet to smile.

Grimmjow slid out from between the sheets of his bed and padded out of his bedroom. Making his way down the hall, he came up to a door at the far end. He pushed it open to reveal a small office. A small, royal blue keyboard sat catty cornered by his desk. He made his way over and sat in the comfortable, gray office chair situated in front of it. An array of scribbled on music sheets were scattered across the floor and desk. Some had small notations, while others were filled with small music notes written with a black pen. He reached down and picked one up, smirking at the music notes.

He had finally been working on composing various different pieces, but one in particular was something he had been working on for Ichigo. Call him sappy, but he thought it was perfect for him. A little pick-me-up for all that he had been through in his life. The piece was almost completed and when that time came, he would make sure to play it with his heart and soul, just for Ichigo.

* * *

Grimmjow stepped into Dangai and casually made his way directly towards Aizen's office. The dark brown door blended well with the walls, almost seeming invisible. The white letters on a black nameplate was the only contrast. Grimmjow just stood at the door, contemplating his decisions. Did he really want to know what Aizen wanted to talk about? He really didn't have a choice, but the more he stood there, the more he felt like he had control over his own choices. He exhaled a breath and raised his hand to knock. He heard a soft, but authoritative "Enter" and quickly made his way inside, softly closing the door behind him. He tried to keep his eyes on his boss, but every time he stepped foot in that office, his eyes quickly wanted to take in everything.

 

The man's taste in everything was always extravagant. His furnishing looked completely high-end, with restored and refined wood furniture. It was a big difference to the completely white walls filled with various framed photographs of Aizen with an array of celebrities. Actors, musicians, recording artists, boxers and even talk show hosts. It seemed the man had some very well known connections. Diplomas and business licenses scattered the walls as well, sitting between pristine conditioned paintings. One painting always had creeped Grimmjow out though. It sat on the wall behind Aizen's desk. It was large, covering the entire width of the wall. The mood of it was dark, the crescent moon in the painting illuminating the grainy, tan sands below. A white stone castle sat in the far distance. Creatures roamed the area covered in bone material, but what was the most frightening thing were the holes in their bodies. In their chests, stomachs and some in their faces. The holes where the eyes should be glowed gold, but they looked so sad, so dead and so...hollow.

He glanced down from the painting to see Aizen looking up at him with a thin arched eyebrow. "Grimmjow, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He softly smiled at the blue haired man, making him sneer back.

"I wanted to know what you wanted to talk to me about."

"Ah, yes. You should have a seat." Grimmjow frowned, but seated himself in the high backed, white leather chair. Aizen set his fountain pen down and steepled his hands together. "Once you finish your normal shift tonight, we will be having a guest. He is a very important friend of mine and I want you to treat him with respect. Also, I'll need you to play the piano for him as well."

"That's all?" Aizen just nodded, his eyes sparkling with knowledge and amusement. Something didn't feel right. Grimmjow could tell his boss was withholding information, but he didn't have a way of figuring out what. He brushed it off, hoping it was nothing and rose from the chair. "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll just start my shift." He made his way out, closing the door behind him.

Aizen sat, gazing at the door. His mouth slowly turned upwards. He lowered his fingers and drummed them against the wood desk. Gazing down, he looked at a few sheets of papers, most with blank spots initialed and some not. He lowered his brown eyes to the bottom of the page, Grimmjow's name in bold letters and a long line right beside it. He softly chuckled. This had to be the best idea yet.

* * *

"Okay, next you add a few drops of vinegar to the rice and then stir it gently." Ichigo frowned as he sat at the kitchen table. He never understood why Yuzu had to voice what she was doing while she cooked. It had been a habit ever since Ichigo went blind. He really didn't mind, but it was just kind of weird. He could hear Karin grumbling as she did her homework. "Then you smear this and add that, then wrap!"

 

"Yuzu, what are you making?" He listened to the girl as she hummed a little tune to herself. He opened his mouth to ask her again, but she quickly interrupted him.

"Sushi!" He could hear the happiness in her voice before he heard her socked feet pad towards the table. He heard a plate softly touch the table and a pair of chopsticks as they were set against the plate. Yuzu went on her way and Ichigo started to eat. As he did so, he could hear the brown haired girl humming again in the kitchen before hearing a familiar set of loud thuds.

"Renji?"

"…Yeah, what?" Ichigo frowned. The red head was still in a pissy mood and it was really starting to get on Ichigo's nerves.

"Yuzu, Karin. Can you two go to the office for a moment? I need to speak to Renji privately."

"Tch, why should we? We already know you are going to chew him out."

"Karin! …Please, just go." The dark haired girl frowned, but grabbed her things. She slowly made her way down the hall, Yuzu following right after her. When Ichigo heard the door close he sighed. "Renji, what the hell is your problem?"

"What are you talking about? I don't have a problem." The red head was grabbing a plate of food before sitting down across from Ichigo. He gazed at the smaller male, frowning at the scowl on the man's face.

"You do have a problem. You've had a fucked up mood for the last few weeks. It gets even worse every time Grimmjow calls. He kicked your ass. Get over it."

Renji chuckled dryly. "You think I give a damn about that. He didn't kick my ass. He caught me off guard. Big difference. I've told you before. I hate him. I hate him calling here. I hate the fact that he's always hanging around here and I hate that you are spending so much time with him. He's just going to fuck you over, Ichigo," Renji argued as he stuffed a piece of sushi into his mouth.

"…Why can't you just be happy for me?" Ichigo looked down at his plate. Renji's face fell. His brows furrowed and pulled together. "I find someone that makes me feel good and it's like I'm not allowed to be happy. I've been through hell all my life and Grimmjow makes this life much more livable. I know I have my sisters, but sometimes I just need…more. So why can't I? Why doesn't anyone want me to be happy?"

Renji just continued to gaze at Ichigo. Of course he wanted Ichigo to be happy. He just felt that he could make the smaller male so much happier than that blue haired punk could. It was only a matter of time before Grimmjow betrayed and hurt Ichigo and the orange haired man didn't need that. He didn't need to feel like he was that much more pathetic. All he wanted to do was protect Ichigo from anymore harm.

"Ichigo…I want you to be happy, but I don't think you need  _Grimmjow_  for that. There are plenty of other people out there that could make you feel the same way."

"Like?"

"…" Renji didn't really want to continue this conversation. He didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with Ichigo over the silly feelings he'd had for years. He refused to make Ichigo think their friendship was covering the lie Renji was keeping about how he felt. He sighed. This was tearing him apart, but he knew it would be the right thing to do. "Orihime."

"Inoue? What does she have to do with anything?"

"You are just as blind now as you were years ago." Ichigo frowned, but let Renji continue. "That girl has loved you since high school. No one else but you."

Ichigo chuckled. "You are so full of it. She isn't in love with me."

"Told you. You are still as blind as ever."

"Quit it with the blind joke!"

"Well then stop being so insensitive to her feelings." Ichigo glared in Renji's direction, his mouth pulled into a deadly sneer. He would never believe that sweet Inoue was in love with him. She was nice, but she was nice to everyone.

"I'm not. I don't see what you are talking about."

"Exactly! What woman spends every waking minute at the hospital with a man she doesn't love? Inoue has been there every step of the way for you and you push her feelings aside. She would throw her own life away if it meant that you would be able to live yours. Get a grip, Ichigo. If you are meant to be with someone, than Orihime is the one you need to choose."

Ichigo's face was unreadable. He seriously didn't know what to think. Orihime was…in love with him? Why hadn't anyone ever told him? Why was he the only one still left in the dark? Was he really supposed to be with her? He felt something throb in his chest. He had never known. He felt bad for not noticing her feelings long ago.

"Ichigo…Grimmjow is not good for you. He will take you and rip you apart. If you saw what I saw in him, you wouldn't want to be with him. His attitude and body language are not a good thing. He's just not the right person for you."

"Is it because he's a guy?"

"…No-"

"You're lying." Renji grimaced at the venom in Ichigo's voice.

"…Okay, maybe that's why too. Look, you need a  **woman**  to take care of you. Someone like Orihime is perfect. She's sweet, beautiful and she's already completely dedicated to you. Just let that man go and get with Hime."

Ichigo sat there. Maybe Renji was right. Maybe he should be with Orihime. She had been around him for years. She was a caring woman and someone that any man would want. He frowned. Was that really enough though? Did he really need Inoue in his life? Was she going to make him feel the same way Grimmjow made him feel? He sighed. He just didn't know what to do anymore.

* * *

Grimmjow sighed as he wiped down the last table for the night. It had been a long shift, full of young women hitting on him and older women practically trying to do the same. He seriously didn't know where they had been coming from. He picked up the tray of dirty dishes, scrunching up his nose in distaste and made his way to the kitchen. He set them down next to the sink so that his co-worker could start cleaning them.

 

He was starting to get anxious about this so-called important guest. He wondered why he had to stay and play the piano for him. What made him so damn special anyway? He made his way out and towards the back room. He pulled his apron off, slipping it into his locker and grabbing his jacket. Grabbing his cell phone from the pocket, he noticed he had a text message. He threw his jacket over his shoulder and started to walk back out to the front. Scrolling through his phone, he entered his inbox and saw it was from Ichigo.

_Whenever you have time, can you contact me? It's really important. ~ Ichigo_

Grimmjow wondered what the problem was. When he had talked to Ichigo earlier that afternoon, everything seemed fine. He sighed and slipped his cell phone into his jean pocket.

"Good evening…" Grimmjow looked up when he heard Aizen's voice coming from the center of the lounge. He guessed Aizen's special friend had finally arrived. He noticed a gorgeous man of average height. His skin was pale, but looked healthy with a natural glow. His long obsidian hair was pulled into a low, loose ponytail and he wore an immaculate suit that looked like it was worth more than Grimmjow would make in five years. The man's steel gray eyes were determined and seemed overly bored. His lips were pulled into a thin line and he just seemed like a total ball-breaker.

Grimmjow casually made his way over to where Aizen was. He watched as the two men conversed. Aizen looked up and smiled. "Ah, Grimmjow, I want to introduce you to someone. This is a good friend of mine, Kuchiki Byakuya. He's vacationing here for a few days and I thought he was someone you would like to meet."

"I wouldn't exactly call it vacationing, Aizen." Byakuya turned his attention to Grimmjow. He seemed to be assessing the man with a critical eye. "You are sure this is him?"

"Yes, he would be a perfect addition." Grimmjow made a noise to let the two men know that he was still standing there. "I apologize, Grimmjow. Would you like some time alone with him, Byakuya?" The dark haired male nodded and started walking to a table situated near the piano. He didn't wait for Grimmjow to get the hint and sat down in the hard wood chair. The blunet sat opposite him and gazed into those cold gray eyes.

"So what is this all about?" Grimmjow watched as Byakuya pulled a small case from his inner suit pocket. He opened it and pulled out a small, glossy, deep purple business card. He set the card down on the table and slid it over to where the bigger man could see it. Grimmjow picked up and read the information on the card.

_**San Francisco Symphony** _

_Byakuya Kuchiki – Music Director_

_Davies Symphony Hall_

_XXX Van Ness Ave._

_San Francisco, CA 94102_

_(415) XXX-XXXX_

Grimmjow's cerulean eyes enlarged and his mouth dropped open. He had to be dreaming. The one place his mother talked about the most when he was a child. To have her son play in any orchestra around the world was great, but she constantly talked about San Francisco. America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. He could feel his face hurting from the wide spread smile. He didn't even notice the secretive smile on the stoic man's face. He was just too enamored by the card in his hand.

"So, I take it you know of the San Francisco Symphony?" Grimmjow could only nod as he continued to gaze at the card. "Aizen has spoken to me about your…gift and I thought I would come see it for myself. We are looking for a few new talents, which include a symphony pianist."

"…Really! I-I would be honored to do it…I mean, it would be an honor if you chose me." Grimmjow had to stop himself before he started speaking as if he had word vomit. He had never been so excited in his life. Even when he got his first piano, he didn't feel like he could float away as far as he thought he could now.

"Well, I would need to hear you play first."

"Okay." Grimmjow wasn't sure what to do until he noticed the man gazing at him. "Oh, right now?"

"I think later on would be a little problematic."

"Oh, right!" Grimmjow shot from his seat and swiftly made his way over to the piano. He was so nervous. He was about to audition to be in the SFS Orchestra. His palms were sweaty and he felt like he would fall on his face in front of the calm man. He quickly made his way up the stairs and sat on the black bench he was so familiar with. His whole body was shaking with adrenaline. He opened the lid and stared down at the row of keys. "Uhh, is there something specific you want me to play?"

He eyed the man sitting cross-legged at the table. He was so nervous, but he wanted to do himself justice. Byakuya was silent for a moment, assessing the way Grimmjow sat at the piano. He had poise and confidence. Though he was shaking, he knew the blue haired man had some talent.

"Étude Op. 10, No. 12 in C minor by Chopin." Grimmjow's eyes looked frightened. He didn't know if he could just do it on the spot. He swallowed making his Adam's apple bob and then sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

**55 minutes later**

 

Grimmjow scowled as he sat across from Byakuya. He had never played so hard in his life and it was all just to impress some prick from SFS. He had played ten different songs. He had better be getting the damn job. The suspense was killing him and he balled his hands into fists. "So?" The dark haired man looked into brilliant blue eyes. He was perfect. He had talent, looks and the right attitude. He was more than determined to achieve what he set out to do and Byakuya felt the man was everything SFS needed. He may have been a little temperamental, but it wasn't anything Byakuya couldn't deal with.

Byakuya cleared his throat. "The pianist works three months straight, with a month break in between. You will work three shows a day with various days off throughout the week…" Grimmjow's mind was about to explode. His ears were clouded and he couldn't hear another thing the man was saying. He had got the job. He practically wanted to throw himself over the table and hug the man, but he didn't want to get a glare of death. He just couldn't believe his luck. Just wait until he told Ichigo…

His face completely fell and his body went rigid.  _Ichigo._  He had forgotten all about the orange haired man. He couldn't leave now. He was supposed to be with Ichigo. "Mr. Jeagerjaques…" It was all moving too fast and he didn't know what he should do. "Mr. Jeagerjaques."

"…Uh, yeah sorry, uhm, about the job. D-do I have to leave immediately for America?"

"It would be the best option," the dark haired male gazed at Grimmjow to see a face of sorrow, "but if you need some time, you can come in a few months. We can have a stand in until you arrive. I'd advise you to think carefully about this though. There is no guarantee that the position will still be there in three and a half months."

"I-I know and I really want the job…it's just that I need to talk to someone about it first. Even if you give me a month to think about it, it should be enough time." He really needed to talk to Ichigo about this first. He knew it was a great chance, but he would feel bad if he just up and left immediately without saying something to Ichigo in advance.

"Very well. I can see that you are having a hard time with your decision. I will be leaving Japan sometime at the beginning of next week. In a month's time, if you still want the job, contact me in America. I will make arrangements for your arrival if you choose to take part in this opportunity." Grimmjow just nodded. He watched as Byakuya rose from his seat and casually made his way out of the club.

The blunet lowered his face into his hands. He couldn't believe his luck. To think he would be able to go to America and play the piano. It was something he always dreamed of doing. So why did he feel an ache in his chest? Why were his hands shaking? And why did he have to choose between his dream and Ichigo?

* * *

Grimmjow pulled up to the curb near Ichigo's apartment. He stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. He reluctantly made his way down the concrete courtyard towards the orange haired man's door. He was trying to get his mind straight and figure out what he was going to do. He also wanted to know what was so important that Ichigo had to talk about. He reached the door and raised his hand to knock. Three knocks and he leaned against the doorframe waiting for someone to open it.

 

The door slowly creaked open revealing long red hair and tattooed eyebrows. Those eyebrows scrunched together and the mouth on Renji's face turned down in a frown. "It's fuckin' 12:15 am! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Look, I really don't have the patience to deal with you today. Ichigo called me and said he needed to talk to me about something. I just got off of work so I'm here. Is he asleep or not?" Renji's frown became deeper, but he stepped out of the way and let Grimmjow in.

"He's in his room. You know where it is."

"Thanks, man."

"Tch, what-the-fuck-ever." Grimmjow slipped off his shoes and made his way down the hall and pushed Ichigo's door open. The room was dark, only illuminated by the high moon. He could see the rise and fall of breathing in the bed. The orange hair peaked out from under the covers and Pantera laid at the very top of the pillow. He softly closed the door behind him and crawled on top of the bed. He laid there next to Ichigo, watching the man sleep. The small blue-gray feline trotted her way down towards her previous caretaker, walking in a circle and curling up next to the man's chest.

She mewed softly before drifting off to sleep. Grimmjow sighed. The feeling was nice. Just laying there and listening to Ichigo breath. He felt like a stalker in a way, but he couldn't help how Ichigo made him feel. He frowned when what happened earlier popped into his head. He didn't want to wake Ichigo up, but the quicker they talked about this, the quicker he could come to a decision. Grimmjow leaned over and pressed his lips to Ichigo's ear. He softly whispered his name, loving when the smaller male groaned and moaned his name. He smirked and repeated Ichigo's name again.

He pulled back a little and watched as burnt orange lashes fluttered open and cloudy white eyes were revealed. Ichigo could feel hot breath ghosting across his face and sighed. "Grimmjow?"

"Mmmm." He watched as Ichigo pulled the covers down and leaned closer to him. The bed creaked and the sheets shifted as he felt Ichigo's hand slowly run across his clothed chest.

"What are you doing here? And what time is it anyway?" Ichigo whispered.

"I'm here because you wanted to talk and it's about 12:30 in the morning." Ichigo frowned. He had forgotten that he wanted to talk to Grimmjow about what happened earlier that day. "Actually, I have something to talk about too, but maybe I should have waited until you were wide awake." Now that he thought about it, it probably hadn't been a good idea to come over so late.

"No, no it's okay. You first, mine can wait." Grimmjow took a deep breath and buried his face in Ichigo's soft orange locks. His hair always smelled good, like sweet butter cream. He heard Ichigo giggle and smiled.

"Sorry, your hair just smells good," Grimmjow mumbled.

"It's Yuzu's fault. She's always buying different shampoos." Grimmjow just chuckled.

"Maybe I should take her shopping with me."

"You're stalling. Is what you wanted to talk about bad news?" Grimmjow sighed and lowered his head down on the pillow next to Ichigo's. He gazed at the man he had come to enjoy being around.

"I got a job. It's to play the piano in an orchestra."

"Really? Congratulations! That's what you've wanted to do." Ichigo's smile was beaming, but Grimmjow just couldn't smile about the news. "So where is it? Here in Japan?"

"San Francisco." Ichigo's smile started to dwindle.

"That sounds like-"

"America, yeah," Grimmjow interrupted.

"But…oh, well congratulations still. I'm so happy for you."

"You don't sound too happy anymore." Ichigo looked down towards the sheets. Of course he was happy. Grimmjow was going to play some place where his talents wouldn't be locked away. It was something Grimmjow should be overly happy about, but America was so far away. There would be a time difference and miles and miles of ocean and land between them. He wouldn't be able to call the bigger man when he wanted to, or spend time with him.

"No, of course…I'm happy. It's just that…it's so far away. America? Have you ever even been there?"

"Nope and I know some English, but not fluently."

"Well, you have to do whatever you feel will make you happy." Grimmjow sighed.

"Yeah, that's the problem…I don't know what would make me happy right now."

"Grimmjow, you have an opportunity of a lifetime. Don't throw it away just because of me. I'll be fine. I mean you still can visit here, right?"

"…"

"…R-right?"

"…Yeah, I guess I could. The director said I would get a month break every three months."

"W-well see, th-that's…that's not so bad." Grimmjow frowned and lifted his head. He reached his hand out and lifted Ichigo's chin. He could see the small trails of tears rolling down the man's face.

"Why are you crying?"

"Sh-shut up! I'm not crying! I just have something in my eye!"

"It looks like crying to me." Ichigo sniffled and raised his hand to wipe away the tears.

"Well…it's not, okay?" Grimmjow sighed and leaned down, softly pressing his lips against Ichigo's. He pulled back and gazed into Ichigo's eyes.

"Just tell me not to go and I won't." The orange haired male really did want to tell Grimmjow to stay, but he refused to be some selfish person. He wanted the blunet to do what he loved and he would not stand in the man's way. He softly smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Grimmjow's. He ran his tongue along the man's bottom lip asking for entrance and he quickly slipped the appendage inside Grimmjow's hot cavern. He moaned and enjoyed how the bigger man immediately kissed back. He could feel himself being pushed down onto the bed, but let the man take control. He could feel the man's soft hands running across his abs and chest and his body started to shake in fear.

He wasn't ready for this. They had only known each other for a month and a few weeks. It just wasn't something Ichigo wanted to give away yet. He tried to pull away from Grimmjow and the man got the idea. He slowly let up and looked down at the panting, orange haired man.

"Sorry…got a little carried away." Grimmjow started to pull off of Ichigo, noticing that the man was blushing a nice shade of raspberry.

"It-It's okay. I'm just not ready for that yet." Ichigo looked away. "I do want you to stay, but I want you to go as well. I want you to follow your dream, Grimmjow."

"Soooo?"

Ichigo chuckled and leaned his forehead against Grimmjow's chest. "Go. Enjoy America. Bring me back lots of souvenirs, yeah?"

Grimmjow smirked. "Yeah…"

"Good, so how long until you have to go?"

"One month." Ichigo hummed. He guessed that was enough time. Maybe in that time he could figure out what he really was going to do. Did he really want to be with Grimmjow, the man he just couldn't stay away from? Or start dating Inoue, the woman who has loved him ever since high school? He sighed and buried his face closer into Grimmjow's chest. He could feel the man's long fingers running their way through his hair. He could feel his eyes slowly getting heavy. He tried to stay awake, but his thoughts and Grimmjow's fingers were just making it impossible. Whatever his decision was, he would start to ponder on it again tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Grimmjow groaned and turned over to his side. He slowly blinked his eyes open. Sky blue orbs glanced around the room and Grimmjow noticed he was not in his own bedroom. He looked down and smiled when he caught sight of unruly, but gorgeous tangerine hair. He leaned closer, brushing his face through the hair, enjoying the aroma. He couldn't believe he actually fell asleep in the smaller man's bed. Ichigo mumbled something incoherent and pushed closer to the warmth radiating from the blunet, making him smirk.

The mood was relaxing and calm. Though his arm was numb, he could care less. He felt amazing just laying there. He heard a soft mewing and looked over the edge of the bed. Pantera was pawing at the door, trying to get someone to open it for her.

"You are so needy." She just mewed and pawed at the door again. Grimmjow sighed and looked back down at Ichigo to see him still in a deep sleep. He slowly slipped his arm from under the man's head and pushed himself off of the bed. He made his way over and opened the door for the feline. He watched as she trotted down the hallway to wherever she needed to go. He peeked out and looked down the hall trying to see if anyone was walking around.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" Grimmjow sneered at the voice and turned his attention to the opposite way. He rose to his full height and glared at the red head standing before him. He was really trying to hold back his temper, but the man was just making it so difficult.

"Don't worry about it." Grimmjow was about to turn back into Ichigo's room, when he felt a hand grip his forearm. He looked over his shoulder to see Renji glaring at him.

"This is my fucking house and I asked you a question."

"I could have sworn this was Ichigo's apartment."

"I pay the fuckin' bills. It's my apartment." Grimmjow's mouth turned down and his brows creased in frustration. Was this guy really serious right now?

"Dude, can you just chill the fuck out for a minute? Why are you so against me being here? I don't do anything to you, so what's the problem?" Grimmjow turned his full attention to the red head. He really wanted to know what the problem was with him being around Ichigo. It couldn't be because of Renji's feelings, because it seemed like the man wouldn't screw up his friendship, so why?

"Ichigo doesn't need you fucking up his life. His heart has been broken enough times and you are just going to add to the list."

"So, you think you can do better?"

"…No, but…Orihime can. He needs a woman, someone gentle to take care of him. You are too much of a fucking barbarian to even be gentle for one second." Grimmjow sighed and started making his way out of Ichigo's bedroom, closing the door behind him. He leaned against it and folded his arms. He really could care less who Orihime was. If he had recalled correctly, he was the one that was pursuing Ichigo and no one was going to get in the way of that.

"Ichigo doesn't need someone to take care of him. Once you get that through your thick head then maybe you can realize the kid ain't helpless. And I don't understand how a woman is going to help any more differently than I would. So, explain to me what's so different between us, other than breasts and the fact that I don't have a vagina."

"…" Renji looked down and tried to search his mind for anything. He really didn't know what Orihime could do that Grimmjow couldn't. He knew the girl was everything Ichigo needed, so why was he speechless? He glanced up to see Grimmjow gazing at him with piercing eyes and a thin arched brow. "…Ichigo needs to feel like he's the man in the relationship." Grimmjow's eyes widened as he continued to gaze at Renji. "He needs to feel like he has control. Ichigo is in a vulnerable state right now and you are just completely overpowering him. He's not some woman, dude. He doesn't need to be with another man to make him feel that way. I just think it would be better for Ichigo's state of mind, if he was dating a woman."

Grimmjow looked away, surprised that that had even come out of Renji's mouth. In one way, he could agree with the red head. He had always treated Luppi as the woman in their relationship, but that's because the petite man acted like one. He really didn't see Ichigo as a woman, but more as a partner. They were so much alike that he just saw him as someone who he could get along with on a daily basis. A guy friend, but it went beyond that. It was hard for him to explain, but he did not see Ichigo as a woman.

"Do you think Ichigo sees himself as a woman?"

"…No, but if he stays with you, he might start to."

"You've known Ichigo way longer than me and you really think his mind would even venture to that thought?" Renji frowned as he listened to the change of tone in the bigger man's voice. "You are supposed to be his best friend. You've known him since you two were little. I don't give a damn what he's been through. You really…think…he would start to see himself as a woman?"

"Yes," Renji said in a final tone. He would not change what he thought. "You hold him like you would hold a woman. You take him out; treat him as if you are going to spoil him. You stand up for him. You…kiss…him the same way you would kiss a woman. He is your woman."

"Ichigo is  **not**  my woman. Ichigo is my partner. My companion and if you think any different, something is seriously wrong with you. To be honest, I really don't give a damn about what you think. No one but Ichigo is going to stop me from being with him. End. Of. Story. Now if you excuse me, I'm going back in the room." Grimmjow turned around and reached for the knob and began to turn it, pushing the door open.

"Hey, don't just brush this off! I'm serious."

"And so am I. You really think I'm going to take advice from someone who can't even express his own feelings correctly?" Renji seemed to keep his mouth shut after that. Grimmjow huffed out a breath and looked up to see Ichigo sitting on the bed, gazing in his direction. "Now just leave Ichigo alone. Let him live his life and decide for himself. He's not a child." Grimmjow stepped back in the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned against it, eyes closed and eyebrows furrowed.

"You heard us, didn't you?" Ichigo frowned and looked down. Grimmjow opened his eyes and glanced at Ichigo. He sighed again and made his way towards the bed. He slipped back on the bed, sliding closer to the smaller man and waited for him to speak. "Didn't you, Ichigo?"

"Yes…," Ichigo whispered. "I'm sorry for how Renji acts towards you. I don't know what is wrong with him."

"Don't worry about it. He has his reasons."

"You see me as a partner?"

"Do you want me to see you as something different?"

"I-I don't know. It's all so new. I'm not sure what I want. First, there's you and then there's…Inoue."

"Inoue?"

"Orihime. Sh-she has feelings for me. Renji said she's been in love with me since high school." Ichigo chuckled at the funny thought. "High school, Grimmjow. I knew nothing about it."

"That only means that you don't feel the same way about her as she does about you. It's nothing to be upset about."

"That's the thing. I'm not upset. I feel sorry for not seeing her feelings, but I'm not upset because I'm not in love with her. I'm upset that everyone thinks that just because she loves me, I have to be with her. It's so ridiculous. What happened to me being able to choose who I want to be with? I don't remember putting anyone else in charge of my decisions."

"Maybe they thought they could because of what happened to you." Ichigo chuckled again and shook his head.

"I'm so tired of everyone thinking I need to be babied. I really wish I had my eye-sight back."

"Well…maybe after I work this job long enough, I could-" Ichigo shook his head, knowing where Grimmjow was going with that statement.

"No, Grimmjow, I really couldn't ask you to do that. I'll get the money one way or another."

"That sounds like you're going to rob a bank or something. I don't want to see you on the night news." Ichigo smiled and leaned back in the bed. He was still tired, but he couldn't go back to sleep with all the yelling happening right in front of his door.

The blunet watched Ichigo for a moment before leaning over him and pressing his lips to Ichigo's. The oranget's mouth turned up at the edges and Grimmjow felt a hand running across his cheek. "What was that for?" Ichigo asked.

"I didn't get to say good morning." Ichigo giggled and leaned up to softly press his lips to Grimmjow's as well.

"Good morning to you, too."

* * *

Luppi paced back and forth, his fingernail being chewed off with aggravation. He hated when people were late. It was one of his biggest pet peeves. He growled, looking up at the lavender kitty clock on his kitchen wall. She was taking too long. He loved his best friend dearly, but her lateness always made him want to kill her.

He stopped and took a deep breath. He needed her. She was the only one that wouldn't think he was crazy. She was the only one that had the resources he needed to get Grimmjow back. She was always a logical thinker and her plans were always perfect. He heard his doorbell ring and quickly rushed over to answer it.

He threw open the door and glared at the dark haired woman. "Loly! What took you so long!"

"Chill out, Luppi," she said as she sauntered in. "It's not like you were going anywhere."

"That's not the point. If you say you are going to be here at a certain time, then I expect you to be here." He slammed his door shut and stomped his way back into his living room. He watched as she softly sat herself on the edge of the petite man's couch.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, what is it that you wanted? You said something about Grimmjow? I really don't understand why you want him back. He is such a brute."

"He's not a brute. He's the perfect man."

"He's a brute!" Loly yelled, stunning Luppi. She looked away and cleared her throat. "Now, I see that you love him, so I will help you. Have you gotten in contact with him since he left?"

"N-no. I was going to call him, but he probably wouldn't…answer his phone."

"That is why you have to go to him. He can't ignore you if you are in front of him."

"But-" She glared his way, waiting for him to deny that she was wrong. "…"

"Now, I think you should go to his job. He works at that fancy club, right? Just go there and pull him aside. Tell him how much you care and blah, blah, whatever."

"Wh-what if he still rejects me?" Loly hummed and tapped her finger against her chin in thought. She did wonder about that, but why would he. Luppi was perfect.

"Is he…dating someone else?" Luppi's eyes went wide and he could feel the prickling and pain in his eyes. "Lu-Luppi?" Loly watched as tears started to shed from her best friend's eyes. She quickly rose from her seat and made her way over. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." She pulled him over to the couch and let him cry on her shoulder. She felt so bad for the boy. She knew he was always the happiest when he was with Grimmjow and now that he was gone, it was disappearing.

"H-he's…he's on-only sup-supposed to be with me," Luppi sobbed, making Loly frown. This was killing her. She hated to see her best friend feeling so down.

"It'll be okay. We will find out if he's with anyone. And if he is, we'll figure out how to get rid of them. Grimmjow was made for you, sweetheart, and if he makes you smile, then you should still be with him." She refused to let her friend be sad. She would do anything, just to make him smile again.

* * *

"Rukia…are you sure about this? I mean, I don't really mind and I think this is going a little over the top."

"Hime, do you love him?"

"Ye-yes."

"Then we are doing this. Get ready!"

"Ye-yes!" Rukia nodded and turned her attention to the walnut colored door. She raised her hand and knocked on it, waiting for someone to answer. When it opened, she had expected it to be Renji. She didn't expect a tall and very handsome man with blue hair to open it. Though she thought that, she also thought why was he even opening the door. He was the reason Orihime felt like shit for the last few weeks. He was the reason Ichigo's head was so fucked up.

She glared up into glorious, deep blue eyes. "What are you doing answering this door?"

The man arched a thin, azure eyebrow. "Well, I'm answering because Ichigo asked me too." She snarled, her petite body shaking with anger. She grabbed her best friend's hand, making her squeak in fear as she pushed her way past Grimmjow and into the apartment. He looked wide-eyed, but couldn't help but laugh at the action. "Well…wont you come in then?"

"Shut it you. Ichigo!" She let go of the orange haired girl's hand and stomped down the hallway. Grimmjow just stared as he listened to the small woman having a yelling contest with his orange haired partner.

"Uh…is she always like that?" Grimmjow asked Inoue, without removing his eyes from the hallway. When he didn't get a response from the woman, he glanced over at her to see her looking at him. When she caught his eyes on her, she turned away, a blush rising across her face. "You must be Orihime? Heard so much about you."

"Re-really?" She turned her full attention to the blue haired man.

"You love him." She looked down at her quivering hands. He knew? He wasn't supposed to know. Only Rukia was supposed to know that. Did that mean…Ichigo knew? Her eyes went wide and she looked back up at Grimmjow.

"D-does he know?"

"You should ask him that yourself." Grimmjow watched as Rukia revealed herself from Ichigo's room and started dragging the boy down the hallway. He wondered what the hell was wrong with this little woman. She was way too forceful for no apparent reason.

"What is that doing here, Ichigo?" Grimmjow made a noise at being called "that". He really didn't have the patience to deal with her. He already had to deal with Renji earlier that morning. "Why is he answering your door? Why is he even here? And why is he only wearing pajama pants?"

Grimmjow didn't think she had any right to even be asking those questions. Ichigo was a grown ass man and he could have whomever he wanted in his house. When the small woman didn't get an answer, she got pissed and started hitting the oranget. Grimmjow was stunned and his eyes flashed with anger. He reached them both in two strides and gripped her tiny wrist in his strong hand. He would never hit a woman, but her hitting Ichigo wasn't something he was going to just stand around and watch.

She looked up at him with wide, dark blue orbs and could see the fire in his eyes. She jerked her hand, trying to remove it from his grasp. Ichigo didn't know what was going on and Orihime stood wide-eyed at the spectacle.

"Let go," Rukia hissed. She couldn't believe this man was actually trying to hold her against her will.

"I will when you start acting as if you have some sense. You lay another finger on him and I might not be so nice next time." Rukia glared up into piercing, sky blue eyes. No one had ever stopped her from hitting Ichigo, except the orange haired man himself. It had been a back and forth thing between them since they were in high school and even though Ichigo never hit her back, she continued. She always thought of it as some little game between them.

"Why should I? I can act anyway I want." Ichigo scowled in the direction of Rukia's voice and was about to speak, when a soft voice interrupted him, surprising everyone in the room.

"N-no you can't, Rukia." The petite woman glanced over to her friend to see determined slate eyes. "I-I can't let you keep dragging me around." Grimmjow slowly released Rukia from his grasp.

"What do you mean, Hime?"

"I-Ichigo is happy. I don't want to jeopardize that. I do…lo-love him, but I will not stand around and let you break him and Grimmjow apart. It's not right."

"But Orihime-"

"No!" Rukia's eyes enlarged as she continued to gaze up at her best friend. "I don't want to do this anymore! I can't…I can't stand here and let you do this. Ichigo didn't choose me." The orange haired man could feel his insides crumpling at how hurt Inoue sounded. He couldn't see her, but he knew she had to be crying. Grimmjow was stunned, his mouth slightly hanging open. He didn't know the girl, but it seemed that she had just been following whatever the smaller girl was doing. It only made him angrier with the petite woman.

"Inoue…" Grimmjow glanced over to Ichigo, waiting for him to say something else. "I'm…I'm sorry I never realized."

The orange haired girl shook her head. She could never blame Ichigo for not seeing her love. She tried her hardest to keep it from him. She just wished she had had enough courage in high school to tell him how she really felt. Indeed, she was upset now and the tears spilling from her eyes were a sign of that, but she couldn't blame anyone but herself. She watched with blurry eyes as Ichigo cautiously made his way over to her with Grimmjow's help. The blunet wouldn't get in his way. He would stay silent and watch how everything played out.

Ichigo slowly wrapped his arms around Orihime's neck, pulling her into a hug. The girl responded by burying her face in the crook of his neck and sobbing. She wrapped her arms around his frame, gripping and pulling at his t-shirt. Ichigo felt so heartbroken as he heard her cry, but he wouldn't push her away. Though he never loved her that way, he still loved her as a friend. Inoue had always been there for him and though he never saw it as that kind of affection, he saw it as a good friend being just that, a good friend.

Inoue was a great friend and he would never give her up for anything. Even at times when Rukia and Renji annoyed him, the orange haired girl seemed to lift his spirits. She literally was an angel sent from heaven. All she ever wanted was for him to be happy and Ichigo wished he could help Inoue find happiness too.

"I'm so sorry, Inoue. I don't know how to make it up to you, but I still love you. You are an amazing friend and I love you for it. It may not be the kind of love that you want, but it's what I'm offering."

"N-no, Ichigo. It is alright." She slowly pulled away and wiped a hand across her eyes, trying to wipe the tears away. "I'm glad to have you as a friend and I'm willing to accept that offer." Inoue watched as Ichigo's lips slowly turned up, revealing a lopsided smile. He leaned over and pressed his lips against her forehead, making her cheeks blush a nice rosy color.

Rukia couldn't believe her eyes. All the hard work she put into making Orihime ready to confess her feelings and even if she did, it wasn't in the way she had imagined. She frowned to herself. This wasn't right at all. Ichigo and Orihime were supposed to be together, but the orange haired girl just didn't see it that way anymore. She glared up at Grimmjow, who was watching the two orange heads.

"This is your fault," she whispered. Her voice laced with poison and her eyes burning with heat. "You are the reason they can't be together," she said louder.

"Did you ever think that  **you**  were the reason they weren't together?"

"What?"

"Orihime seems like a sweet girl. She seems shy too. But I think the reason why she never confessed to Ichigo was because of all the pressure from you to do so."

"I didn't pressure her!"

"Well, I don't know for sure, since I've just recently met you two, but from what just happened, it seems that way." He held up his hands in defense. "I'm only going by what I see with my own two eyes."

Inoue listened to what Grimmjow was saying, but didn't have a logical answer for it. She just thought she was being a coward. She sighed. Whatever the reason was, it no longer mattered. She and Ichigo no longer had a chance and there was no point in speaking about it anymore.

"Rukia, let's go. We've stayed long enough."

"But Hime-" Inoue made her way to the door, but not before she stopped and looked up at Grimmjow. The blunet stared down at her. He had to admit, she was beautiful. He wouldn't be surprised if Ichigo had chosen her over him. She loved him deeply and she seemed to be a strong girl, even if she didn't always show it. He watched as a small smile curved across her face. Her eyes spoke everything he needed to hear and she quickly turned away. She didn't wait for Rukia to follow her, but she didn't care. The petite girl could do whatever she wanted. Orihime was going to go get herself a smoothie.

* * *

Ichigo and Grimmjow laid on the couch in the oranget's living room. The sounds on the TV were subtle and were creating some kind of background ambiance. After the two women left, Grimmjow managed to make them both something to eat. After eating, they had retired to the couch where they did nothing by lay around and watch cheesy daytime drama shows. Grimmjow knew he had to go to work later on that night, but he would deal with that later on. Right now, he just wanted to relax with Ichigo and do absolutely nothing. He knew he had to think about what he was going to do when he got to America.

He already had a passport, but he didn't know what he would do about an apartment. He wondered about the little things as well. He worried about food and furniture. He worried about how he would deal with going to a new place, where he couldn't really speak the language. He knew once he got there, it would probably be okay, but his mind was in a whirlwind of panic. He looked down at Ichigo laying his head on his chest, their legs interlocked and hands lying closely together.

He wondered what Ichigo was going to do while he was gone. He knew the man wanted to start becoming independent, so he wondered what that meant for the smaller male. He hoped it wasn't something that would be dangerous, though he knew Ichigo could take care of himself. He still wanted him to be careful. He sighed and leaned his head back against the couch.

"What are you sighing about?" Grimmjow looked down to see Ichigo had turned his body around and his face was looking upward. He raised his hand and ran his fingers through soft, persimmon hair.

"Just thoughts."

"Care to explain?"

"…I was just wondering what you were going to do while I was gone." Ichigo sighed and turned his body back around, trying to snuggle closer to Grimmjow. He could still feel long, smooth fingers running through his hair.

"I was thinking about…" Ichigo could feel his lips pulling into a pout at the thought in his mind.

"About?"

"Don't laugh, okay?" Grimmjow snorted. Now he really wanted to know.

"I won't."

"Promise." Grimmjow just grunted and Ichigo sighed again. "I-I was thinking about taking up…sculpting or something." Grimmjow stared for a moment. That actually didn't sound so bad. It would give Ichigo something to do and it wouldn't be boring. "I'm not really sure. There are so much different things to do, but I just can't set my mind on doing one thing."

"Then why should you? Do them all. You can't limit yourself to one thing."

"But it sounds overwhelming."

"What did I tell you before? One step at a time. You don't have to push yourself too hard. I mean look at what you are doing at home. You're taking care of Pantera. You've gotten better about finding your way around. You can't rush perfection." Ichigo snorted and smiled.

"I'm not perfect."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Perfect," Grimmjow responded, making Ichigo giggle. "Just take it one step at a time and you'll be fine. No one is rushing you."

"You-you'll…help…me, right?"

"Only if you ask, but I think you will be able to do it on your own. I'll be here for a month, so I won't be able to help you much."

"Don't remind me. I wish you didn't have to go or at least…I wish I could go with you." Grimmjow's eyes widened as he looked down at Ichigo. He couldn't believe he had never thought of that idea. He probably wouldn't feel so out of place with Ichigo in San Francisco with him. "But…I have a life here. I can't just up and leave my sisters. Everything would be so new and different, not to mention that I wouldn't be near all my friends."

Grimmjow frowned. Ichigo was right. It wouldn't be a good idea to take him away from everything he was so familiar with. He cared about Ichigo, but he didn't want to rip him away from his life. "…That's true. Don't worry about it, though. I'll visit every three months when I have a break." He watched as Ichigo turned back around and gazed up at him, his brows pulled together, which Grimmjow always hated to see. He always enjoyed the relaxed look on the boy; though his scowls were cute, they always worried him.

"Promise?" Grimmjow chuckled and leaned forward, brushing his lips against Ichigo's. He watched as the boy's face relaxed and his brows smoothed out.

"Promise."

* * *

Orihime walked out of the smoothie shop with a kick in her step, slurping on her peanut butter and kiwi smoothie. She felt free as a bird and not weighed down by her feelings. She could still love and care for Ichigo, but she knew that they would be nothing more than friends. She smiled. She seemed fine with that. Ichigo cherished their friendship and so should she. She skipped down the sidewalk, as happy as could be and rounded the corner. She squeaked as she bumped into what felt like a wall, falling to the concrete ground and dropping her smoothie. She stared down at it with a frown before a deep monotone voice broke through.

"Are you alright, woman?" Orihime looked up into large and bright chartreuse eyes. She seemed to be in a trance, loving how they shimmered as they gazed down at her. "Woman?"

"I-it's Orihime," she said as she felt herself reaching for his pale outstretched hand. He helped her to her feet and let go of her hand. He looked down to see the spilled smoothie before looking back towards her.

"I apologize if I hurt you. I should probably buy you another smoothie." Inoue's large gray eyes enlarged more and she jumped back in an animated way.

"Oh! No, no! I'm fine!" She waved her hands back and forth in a wide fashion. "You don't have to. I was the one that bumped into you."

"I insist." She froze and slowly went back into a standing position. She scratched the back of her head, nervously, a blush slowly rising on her face.

"O-okay, if you insist." He nodded and led her back towards the smoothie shop. "By the way, I-I didn't catch your name," she said as he pulled the door to the smoothie shop open for her.

"I am Ulquiorra."


	8. Chapter 8

Everything seemed to fly by too fast for Ichigo. Two weeks had came and gone and he wished he could get them back. He wanted far more time with Grimmjow and he felt that it was just slipping away from him. The man was still working his shifts at the club, so that he could have enough money for when he left. He had been packing up most of the things at his apartment, making sure they were ready to be sent to America.

Grimmjow had called Byakuya to let him know that he would be arriving at the end of the month. He had asked the man about places to stay until he was able to find his own apartment, but the stoic man had said that there had already been a place reserved for him. There was an apartment only a few blocks away from the concert hall and big enough to accommodate him at an affordable price. Grimmjow didn't know what was affordable in America, but he hoped it wasn't too much.

He had already shipped most of his large things, including his furniture and piano over there. He didn't want to have any problem with customs, so he made sure everything was shipped early. Of course that left the man without a place to sleep, so Ichigo insisted on him staying at his apartment until he had to leave. Grimmjow didn't know how to react to the information. He completely loved it on the inside, but he would have to deal with Renji on a daily basis for thirty days. He didn't know if he could take it without turning the man into road kill, but Ichigo said it would be all right. If Grimmjow had to kill Renji, then Ichigo didn't mind.

After staying there for one week, the blunet didn't really think it was so bad. Waking up to Ichigo was the best thing he could ever dream of, other than a brand new piano. Though he would have to deal with Renji's constant glares of death, he thought he could manage. Yuzu was a total sweetheart and every time she saw Grimmjow, she would try to pull him into the kitchen. She knew of him going to America and she felt the need to teach him how to cook, American style.

The girl was a mini chef, producing things Grimmjow only ever seen on television. He wondered where she learned how to cook so well. Ichigo did say he used to cook a lot before he became blind, but Grimmjow doubted that the oranget had taught his sister. The girl was a master, knowing things he didn't even know. He could cook a normal meal or something small in a quick second, but the girl was whipping up twice as many things, creating a meal of three to five dishes at a time. He seriously wanted to take her to America with him.

Throughout the time staying there, he would spend most of his mornings with Ichigo. Anytime before his shift was all put towards Ichigo. They would spend early mornings after waking up, lounging in the bed and talking. Afterwards, Grimmjow made Ichigo walk. He usually went to the gym, but walking would work for a month. He managed to expand Ichigo's comfort zone. Though he walked around by himself every now and then, it still frightened him. He always worried about getting lost.

Grimmjow and Ichigo walked the same way every day, making sure to map out a safe, but populated area. The orange haired man seemed a little more confident, but there were times that he would feel uncomfortable. He would reach out for Grimmjow and would panic if he didn't feel that soft hand grasp his. His body would shake and he would need to be pulled into strong arms. Grimmjow had become his safety blanket. He knew that he wouldn't be able to always depend on the blunet. He knew he would have to do it on his own, but sometimes he felt like he couldn't. He would get frustrated with himself, about how helpless he had become.

He hated feeling as if he would never be able to do anything alone ever again. But when he felt that way, Grimmjow would pull him aside and tell him everything would be okay and that he just had to take it one step at a time. Once Ichigo heard those words in Grimmjow's voice, he would relax and focus. It had become a daily routine for the both of them. Every now and then, they would go out for breakfast, or go to some little music shop that Grimmjow was familiar with.

One day, Grimmjow led Ichigo to an unknown place. Ichigo could hear the laughter of various people and the quiet sound of soft music. He listened as Grimmjow talked to some man, before he was led to another area by the blunet's hand. He wanted to ask questions, but for some reason he didn't feel the need to. Grimmjow had sat him down on a long plastic bench. He knew it was plastic because he had run his hand across it before sitting down. He felt Grimmjow sitting behind him, the normal and familiar warmth radiating from the man.

Ichigo listened to his surroundings, trying to figure out what was going on. He just couldn't take it anymore. "Grimmjow?"

"Hmm." The man's voice had a hint of amusement in it, making Ichigo frown. It made him worry even more about where they were.

"Where are we?"

"Somewhere."

"Grimmjow!" The man just chuckled before going silent again. "…Tell me," Ichigo whined.

"You'll find out in a moment. Just enjoy what's around you."

"I can't see what's around me."

"I didn't say  **see**  what's around you. I said  **enjoy**  what's around you." Ichigo frowned again and sat quietly. After a few minutes he heard the voice from before speak again.

"Welcome everyone. I am so glad to see so many new people today. Though this is our second class, since we do have new people, I will be explaining the basics and rules of this class. I want everyone to stay safe, so please listen carefully." Ichigo made a noise, upset that he still didn't know what was going on. He listened to the instructions that came from the man's mouth, but didn't understand much about them. He knew they must have been important because he repeated them quite a few times. "I hope everyone understands these rules and welcome to Sculpting I, the basics to sculpting."

Ichigo's eyes went large and he couldn't believe his ears. He could feel a small blush rising across his face. He never thought Grimmjow would actually bring him to a sculpting class. He had said that he wanted to take it up, but it surprised him that Grimmjow was there, sitting behind him. He could feel his heart bursting with joy at the prospect of sculpting with the man who seemed to be trying to steal his heart. Grimmjow was by far the most amazing man he had come in contact with. Sometimes he felt like he was taking advantage of Grimmjow's humanitarian gestures. The man never had one selfish thing to say. He constantly stayed positive about Ichigo's handicap and never gave the man a reason to not love himself, whether he was blind or not.

It made Ichigo think about how things would play out in the future for them. If he ever got enough money for the operation, would he want his eyesight back? Or would he forgo it to live a life of unseeing. He did sometimes feel like a burden on people, but he also saw things in a totally new perspective. It was a scary perspective, but it brought out how people really felt about him. How he wasn't able to depend on himself or think for himself. How he needed someone else to take care of him. How, even when he had no problem before, everyone thought just because his eyesight had been taken away, he was not able to function at 100%. How he hated the word handicapped so much. He never saw himself as handicapped. He just couldn't see what everyone else saw anymore. He saw nothing at all, but how people spoke to him and acted around him.

He could never complain about loving a person for who they were instead of what he saw, because well…he didn't see anything. He listened to everyone talk about how handsome and gorgeous Grimmjow was and even though he did want to know what he looked like, he didn't mind not knowing. He could enjoy how soft Grimmjow's hands were. He could enjoy how strong his jaw line felt and how kissable his lips were. He could enjoy how the man's voice sounded ultra sexy and the way the man's laugh was completely infectious. He could enjoy the way he smelt and how nice it was to feel his body behind him. The strong will to fight for him, even when he didn't want anyone to fight for him. That's what made Grimmjow who he was. And that was all that Ichigo could see.

* * *

Grimmjow smirked as he gazed down at Ichigo. They had been in the sculpting class for about an hour and had finished their first lesson. It was quite interesting and he thought it was something he would actually enjoy every now and then. He watched as Ichigo washed his hands of clay in the large tin sink. Once the smaller man felt the clay in his hand; he had immediately gone to work on it, molding and sculpting it. It seemed the boy had a knack for that kind of thing. He had been in his own little world and nothing could penetrate it.

After washing up, they left the large studio and made their way back towards Ichigo's apartment. Grimmjow was glad that it was his day off and he didn't have to worry about rushing off to work. They walked in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company, before the blunet decided to start a conversation.

"So, where did you learn how to sculpt? You were doing so well." Ichigo's mouth lifted into a smile, but it looked a bit sad.

"When…I was little, my mom and I would make pottery on the weekend. It was just something to pass the time. Since I did karate during the weekdays after school, we decided the weekends were the best time. Anything we made we would always bring it home. Yuzu and Karin would paint them and we would sit them on the windowsill in the living room." Ichigo's smile seemed to brighten a bit before he chuckled softly. "We would always have to make new ones though."

"…Why?"

"My dad was a very…energetic guy. …Oh, who the hell am I kidding, he was just a crazy ole' goat." Grimmjow chuckled, listening as Ichigo followed suit. "He always ended up breaking them, trying to do some fancy action pose from movies. He would break all sorts of things. Every time we made a new cup or bowl and brought it home, it ended up on the floor, shattered to pieces. My mother never complained though. She always said it gave us more of a reason to go back to the pottery studio on the weekends."

"Huh, I wish I could have met them." Ichigo smirked and glanced in Grimmjow's direction.

"They would have probably liked you. My dad liked anyone who can hold thier own. From the way you beat Renji, he would have taken you in as a second son. My mom…m-my mom was just like a grown up Yuzu. Sometimes I think Yuzu is our mother born again. If Yuzu likes you, my mom would have loved you."

"That's nice to know." Grimmjow could tell Ichigo was feeling a little upset after talking about his parents. He couldn't blame him. He knew it was still hard for him, even after so long. "Ichigo…this is probably the wrong thing to say, but I think you are doing well without them. It's hard for a lot of kids to go through life without their parents. They come out with a lot of issues and problems. You are on the right side of the fence. You've been able to take care of your sisters, who seem to be doing very well and even with what happened to you afterwards, you still keep going. That takes a lot of strength."

Ichigo smiled and nodded. He knew that was true. His parents did well in raising all three of them. He could never complain about them because they were the best parents he could ever have. He sighed and smiled bigger. "Let's go get a smoothie."

* * *

"Ulquiorra?"

"…Grimmjow."

"Ichigo!"

"…Inoue? Is that you?" Grimmjow would have never thought to see his best friend in a smoothie shop of all places. The man best suited a torture chamber or a loan office. What surprised him more was the fact that Orihime, the woman he had just met a couple of weeks ago, had her arm wrapped around his. They stood out like a raccoon in a fruit basket, Ulquiorra being the raccoon. This sweet, bubbly girl was with…Ulquiorra. No doubt the green-eyed man was his best friend, but he never thought he would be hanging about with someone like the orange haired girl. He turned his attention to Orihime. Her big, slate colored eyes glistened with happiness as she held onto his dark-haired friend.

"Yes, it's me, Ichigo. How are you?" the orange haired woman asked as she sipped on her chocolate, apple and raspberry smoothie.

"I'm good. How are you?" Orihime was better than good. She was still happy as ever, even after two weeks. Though it was kind of hard to figure out what Ulquiorra was thinking, he seemed to enjoy being around Orihime. He was a quiet one, but she talked enough for both of them. She glanced over to see Grimmjow glaring down at Ulquiorra and wondered what was going on between them. She watched as the blunet pulled her date to the side for a quick chat.

"Ulquiorra. What the hell are you doing with her?"

"What do you mean, Grimmjow? If you were looking with your eyes, you would know that we were purchasing smoothies." The stoic man just glanced up at his friend as he sipped on his smoothie through a straw. Grimmjow found it weird. He had never seen the man sip on smoothies, sodas or even take a drink of lemonade.

"That's not what I mean, dumbass. I mean…are you dating her?"

"We have only recently met and she is an…interesting girl, but I am not quite sure if dating is what I would call it. It's more like…getting acquainted."

"…You two are dating. Well, that's just great." Grimmjow sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"What seems to be the problem with dating her?" Grimmjow frowned and glanced over to see Ichigo and Orihime laughing and talking. Seeing Ichigo happy made him smile a little. He guessed there was nothing wrong with his best friend dating the orange haired girl. She seemed happy and so was Ichigo, so everything was right with the world. Ulquiorra gazed at him with wonder. He hadn't seen his friend actually smile in quite a long time. Luppi had seemed to completely suck the life out of the man.

"Nothing, I guess. Just don't fuck up."

"Do you think you are speaking to Nnoitra?" Grimmjow just snorted and waved his hand.

"You ready to go, Ichigo?" The oranget just nodded and they made their way out, leaving behind the cheery Orihime and the stoic Ulquiorra.

"Woman." Inoue pouted as the dark haired man refused to use her name again. "Who is that orange haired man?" Orihime looked over to see Ulquiorra still gazing where Grimmjow and Ichigo had been.

"Oh! That's Ichigo, one of my good friends. You've never met him?"

"No. Is he dating Grimmjow?" Orihime hummed as she chewed on the bright red straw coming out of her smoothie cup.

"I'm not quite sure, but I think so. They haven't said anything official." Ulquiorra continued to gaze at the spot, humming as he sipped on his smoothie.

* * *

Luppi sighed as he gazed at his best friend. He didn't understand why they were even at the mall. After breaking down a couple of weeks ago, Loly had decided to put Operation: Brute-Back to work. It all consisted of Luppi going through a small makeover to get his confidence back. The man looked like shit since Grimmjow left and Loly refused to take it anymore. His normal shiny and straight black hair looked washed out and overly curly. His face was pale and unhealthy looking, when it normally looked so bright and practically glowed.

Grimmjow had really put the petite man through hell and it was time for Luppi to get back to his usual self. Luppi didn't understand why that meant he was standing in the middle of a large woman's clothing store, holding five bags in each hand and surrounded by some at his feet. Wasn't the time supposed be spent helping him look good again? Why was he helping Loly look good?

He sighed and started to tap his small foot against the carpeted floor. He was aggravated and just wanted to go home.

"Luppi!"

"What!" Luppi exclaimed as he glared at his best friend. He was angry. They had been there for hours and he still looked like he had been living under a rock.

"What's wrong?" Luppi tutted. Was she seriously asking that question? He frowned and dropped her bags to the ground. Turning around, he began to walk out of the store. "Luppi?" He refused to be her bag holder. If she wasn't going to help him, then he would have to do it on his own. "Luppi!" He felt a tug on his top and glared over his shoulder. Loly stared at him with large pink eyes, her head cocked to the side in a confused fashion. "What's wrong?"

"What the hell do you mean 'what's wrong'? We are supposed to be helping me! Not you!"

"We are." Loly didn't understand the problem. They were shopping like best friends were supposed to.

"How is buying clothes for you suppose to help me!" Luppi frowned even more and folded his arms over his chest. "I look a fucking mess and you are dragging me around this goddamn mall to buy stuff for you."

"What are you talking about? I told you that we had to wait for your appointment." Luppi's anger started to dissipate and he dropped his arms from his chest.

"Wha-what?"

"I said that we were going to go shopping before your hair appointment. Did you not listen to a word I said?" The petite man couldn't find one word to say. He had been thinking about the Grimmjow situation so hard that he hadn't even been listening to Loly. He felt so bad. He was being such a bad friend, when the dark haired girl was trying to help him.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't…know." Loly gazed at her best friend with concern and sighed. She was really worried about him.

"It's okay. Let's go see if they are ready for you." Loly smiled at Luppi. "You are going to look so gorgeous and when Grimmjow sees you, he is going to be speechless." Luppi started walking next to Loly, a small smile crawling across his face. He really hoped that when Grimmjow saw him, he would be the only thing the blunet could see.

* * *

Ichigo giggled as he gazed in front of him. "What is so funny?" Grimmjow's gruff voice penetrated through his mind, but he couldn't help but giggle even more. He felt a push against the ball of his foot and sighed at how good it felt. He had never let anyone touch his feet. It was always so weird to him. When he and Grimmjow had gotten back to the apartment, Ichigo felt like he had walked for miles and miles. He really couldn't believe how out of shape he had gotten. He would usually go to the dojo or even the gym, just to work out, but it seemed to have gone on the backburner. When Grimmjow suggested a foot massage, Ichigo had looked at him as if he had lost his mind. The thought of someone touching his feet was weird, but Grimmjow touching them with those miraculous piano fingers, both excited him and frightened him at the same time.

He just didn't feel comfortable with someone touching his feet, especially when he couldn't see what was going on. The moment Grimmjow's hand touched the top of his foot, all of those worries were thrown out the window. If he was a piano, he would be singing with joy. The man seriously knew how to work his fingers. Grimmjow worked every muscle as if it was an ivory key. He massaged and pressed as if he was playing the sweetest melody. Ichigo didn't know if it was a massage or a piano lesson. He laid back and enjoyed every thing that Grimmjow did, that is until the blunet started to massage the balls of his foot. He went into a fit of giggles. He didn't even realize that he was ticklish. He had been trying to keep it from Grimmjow the whole time, but every time the man pressed and pushed he would start to giggle even more as he tried to pull his foot away.

After a while, Grimmjow seemed to figure out what was going on and deliberately tickled at Ichigo's feet. He watched as the orange haired man went into a fit, practically dying of laughter on the small brown couch. His eyes were squeezed shut and tears fell from the closed lids. The boy's face scrunched up in a cute fashion and Grimmjow just couldn't help chuckling at how sexy it made Ichigo look. They were both in their little world, not noticing the russet colored eyes practically piercing the exchange.

Renji couldn't be more revolted by what was happening on the couch he usually spent his off days on. The affection and lovey dovey action just made him want to puke. He didn't know if it was because Ichigo was doing it with another man, or the fact that that other man wasn't him. He couldn't be more disgusted with himself, or the jealousy rising in him every time he saw those two together. He turned away and made his way to his bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he threw himself on his bed and buried his face into his pillow.

This seemed to be the only place he could enjoy whatever fantasies he had about Ichigo. He felt guilty the moment he stepped out of that room, but he would have to deal with that later. He sighed and reached his hand out for the bottlenecked lotion sitting on his side table. A box of tissues was placed next to it and sitting on the opposite edge was a framed photo. A bright smile, orange hair and something Renji hadn't seen in over eight months stood out in the photo. He reached over and grabbed it, wrapping his fingers around Ichigo's face, hiding the big, expressive, mahogany eyes he once knew from view.

* * *

Grimmjow sighed as he cleaned the last table at work. It had been another long day and he was ready to go home and pass out on Ichigo's bed. He smirked at the thought of burying his face in the mop of sweet smelling apricot hair. It felt so strange to be happy about going home to someone everyday. It had always felt like a chore to see Luppi, especially on his days off. He always feared getting into an argument with the little guy. After working a long day of work, all he ever wanted to do was pass out on the couch or bed and enjoy someone smothering him with love. When it came to Luppi, he was always smothered with chatter and whiny nonsense.

He made his way to the next table. He cleaned up another set of dishes and made his way to the kitchen. He slid the tub of dirty dishes onto the counter and made his way back out and towards the back of the club. He opened his locker and slipped out of his apron, throwing it inside and pulling out his belongings.

Slipping into his jacket, he glanced up when he heard commotion coming from the opposite side of the door. He frowned and slipped his cell phone into his jeans. Making his way out, his ears were assaulted with a few people arguing at the front of the club. He quickly made his way over and he saw two of his co-workers trying to calm down someone.

"Hey! What's going on?" The two co-workers looked his way, but were pushed aside and Grimmjow's eyes widened as he caught sight of the person making their way towards him. His face turned into a deadly sneer and his muscles tightened with anger.

"Grimmjow!" The petite man launched himself at the blunet and hugged him around the waist, not caring that the man refused to hug him back.

"…Luppi."  _You gotta be fuckin' kidding me._


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a song selection in this chapter the you may want to listen to, but it is not required. All music I have chose for this fiction is based off of the feelings of the story.

Grimmjow could feel his headache shooting forward, like a bullet through air. Why now of all times? He knew he had told Luppi it was over. He remembered saying it numerous times. So why? Why was he sitting there staring down at the petite man as he practically jumped around in his chair, like some happy child who just got a piece of candy? He had to having a dream. Screw a dream; it was more like a nightmare.

He seriously didn't even know where to begin when it came to cursing out the smaller male. He was just astonished that the man would even come down to his job. He thanked Kami that Ichigo wasn't there with him. That's all he needed was for Luppi to see that he was dating a blind guy, especially after the argument they had and the blunet walked out. Grimmjow sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Luppi…" He wasn't really surprised that his voice sounded tired and stressed out. It had been a long day and now this. "What the hell are you doing here?" He needed to keep his temper at bay before he exploded and attacked the younger man. He couldn't let his anger get the best of him again. Though he wanted to slam the man's face into the table, he tried to think of something a little less violent.

"I came to see you! Don't I look pretty?" Grimmjow had to roll his eyes.

"Yeah…gorgeous. Now, mind telling me the real reason? We broke up. I think I made that very clear a few times. I know I didn't think the words 'lose my number, my address and anything else that involves me'." Grimmjow watched as the shining smile on Luppi's face fell. He could practically see the black aura surrounding the little man and wondered where all the hate was coming from.

"No. I refuse to believe that. You are mine, Grimmjow." The blunet raised a thin cerulean eyebrow and chuckled. Did Luppi really think that? This was seriously turning into some type of fatal attraction. "We've had three years. You can't just throw me away."

"I didn't throw you-"

"You threw me away!" Grimmjow's eyes enlarged and he watched as tears started falling down Luppi's face. "You threw me away and just didn't care! How could you do that to me? I gave you everything. Everything!"

"Luppi! You were being a fuckin' leech! You gave me nothing but headaches and stressed me the fuck out! Why the hell would I stay with you!" The dark haired man shook his head. Grimmjow was in denial. He just knew he was. Luppi had been the perfect boyfriend.

The blunet was so glad that the club was closed and no customers were around or they would think that it was some kind of talk show about marriage problems.

"You're lying. You love me, Grimmjow."

"Don't tell me who I love or don't love. I decide that for myself and I'm tired of you thinking that you have control over what I think. I'm not yours. We are no longer together and I don't love you. I refuse to tell you again. If you can't get the fuckin' picture, than that's not my problem." Grimmjow rose from the chair, ready to leave. He didn't want to deal with this anymore.

"Grimmjow…you can't leave me," Luppi breathed.

"Watch me. And if you come here again, I'll kick your ass. No matter what, Luppi, you are still a guy." Grimmjow made his way out and towards his car parked out in front of the club.

"I said you can't leave me!" Grimmjow whipped around and watched as Luppi attacked him head on, throwing himself at the taller men. He wasn't quick enough to move and felt himself being hit hard before he fell to the ground. He groaned at the pain in his skull, hearing it crack against the pavement, but ignored it to keep Luppi from doing anymore harm to him.

He reached his hands out just as Luppi's arms came down and his eyes went wide when he caught sight of the glinting letter opener in the small, dainty hands. He was so glad that he had been quick enough or he would have had a knife through the throat. He used all his strength to keep the edge of the knife from even touching his Adam's apple.

"I refuse to give you up! No else can have you but me! No one!"

"Sh-shit, Luppi." It really sucked that his head was throbbing with unbearable pain and it was making his vision hazy. "You're a fuckin' psychopath." He could feel his eyes getting heavy and could feel the edge of the knife practically slicing at his skin. He hissed, but sighed in relief when Luppi was pulled off of him.

"Alley cat?" He had never been so glad to hear his best friend's voice. He breathed heavily, trying to calm his nerves. The tall lanky man looked down to see Luppi struggling in his arms, swinging a small letter opener in his hands. "Calm da fuck down, Luppi."

"Fuck you, Jiruga! Let me down! Grimmjow is mine! Only mine!" Nnoitra sighed and reached for the knife, pulling it from the man's hand.

"I'm lucky someone already called the cops." Grimmjow leaned against his car and reached his hand up to feel the back of his head. He hissed as he touched it and pulled his hand away to look at it. He noticed the blood and sighed in aggravation.  _Great, now I have to go to the hospital._  He massaged his neck with his other hand. It didn't hurt much and even though it was just a scratch, he caught himself swallowing numerous times. He could feel a phantom touch against his throat and it just felt uncomfortable.

"What the hell are you doing here, Nnoi?"

"Eh? Oh, I was goin' to the burger shop down da' street. I saw the struggle and ya bright ass hair and figured sumthin' was goin' on. Neva thought it would be the pussy tho."

"Again, fuck you!"

"Shut da hell up, Luppi," Grimmjow hissed. The petite man gazed up at the blunet to see him swaying a bit and noticed the blood on his fingers. He instantly went slack in Nnoitra's grasp and his body started to shake.

"Gri-Grimmjow, are you okay?"

"Don't you fuckin' start that bullshit. You almost fuckin' killed me!"

"I-I'm sorry. I was just…angry. Please don't be mad at me." Grimmjow could hear the sounds of sirens and tutted.

"I can't believe I have to deal with this shit tonight," Grimmjow mumbled. First he would have to deal with the police asking questions, judging him and then he would have to deal with the hospital. He was just glad he hadn't passed out yet.

Leaning against the car, he watched as people walking passed, glanced at the scene. He thanked whatever spiritual being that his boss was gone for the night. He knew that Aizen would play the concerned boss roll and try to be all in his business. He always enjoyed having dirt on the blunet for future uses.

He watched as two officers made their way over to him and sighed. It was going to be such a long night.

* * *

Ichigo sat fidgeting on the couch. He had called Grimmjow an hour earlier, only to find out that the man was at the hospital. There had been some type of altercation at his job and he had received some injuries. Grimmjow said that he was fine, but Ichigo didn't believe him for one moment. If he was fine, then why did he have to go to the hospital? The hospital usually didn't equal fine.

He was just glad the man was finally on his way home, but he couldn't get the feeling that something was definitely wrong out of his head. He refused to go to bed until the man was home, safe and sound. He glanced up when he heard footsteps coming down the hallway, but kept quiet. He knew those footsteps and wondered what Renji was still doing up.

He listened to see if the red head had noticed he was sitting on the couch and frowned when he heard Renji's voice.

"Ichigo…what are you still doing up? And why are you sitting in the dark?"

"…I was waiting for Grimmjow to come home."

"What? It's 1:45 in the morning. You need to be in bed."

"Don't talk to me like I'm some child, Renji. I'm fine right where I am." The red head sighed and started to make his way down the hall. He really didn't want to deal with Ichigo that night. He knew the man was grown, but he was just looking out for him. If he didn't want his help, than he wouldn't give it. It hurt him to know that Ichigo didn't want to depend or call on him anymore.

He thought it was a sign of them drifting apart and it made his chest tight with agony and confusion. He just wanted the old Ichigo back, the Ichigo in high school before he met the blue haired brute. He sighed and slipped into his room, closing the door behind him and leaving Ichigo to himself.

They boy sat on the edge of the couch, his leg shaking with anticipation. He looked up when he heard a pair of keys jingling against the door and a slur of curses. He waited and waited, listening as Grimmjow slipped into the house quietly. The man was tired and all he wanted to do was pass out on a comfy bed. He was upset he had to work the next day, but he would deal with that when the time game. He looked up and saw Ichigo sitting on the couch and frowned.

"The hell you doing up, Ichi?" He made his way over and softly grabbed the boys arm. He was caught off guard when the boy quickly wrapped his arms around his waist. Frowning, he looked down, watching as Ichigo snuggled closer to his body and sighed. "What's wrong?"

"You're okay, right?" Ichigo gripped the blunet's shirt, clinging to him as if he didn't want to let go.

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine. There was just some trouble. Nothing serious." Grimmjow refused to tell Ichigo what had happened. He didn't need the boy to be even more worried or jump to conclusions about what happened between him and Luppi. He was trying to keep that little nut job out of his life, but he just kept popping up like an awful rash.

He worried about his safety and Ichigo's as well. He didn't need Luppi finding out he was dating someone else, let alone someone who couldn't see much of anything. It just screamed danger like a big, flashing, red sign. He hoped he could live the remainder of his time in Japan without even seeing the man. It would be much safer for the both of them once he was in America. Luppi wouldn't know where he was or what was going on between him and Ichigo.

He sighed, pulling himself and Ichigo towards the bedroom. He needed a shower and he needed some sleep.

* * *

Ichigo sat up against the headboard of his bed, listening to Grimmjow's slow, deep breathing. He knew the man had been exhausted, but he didn't know Grimmjow would fall asleep so fast. The oranget was far from tired, still worried about what had happened earlier on with the blunet. He knew Grimmjow could take care of himself, but he just felt something was not right. He gazed down to where he could hear Grimmjow's snoring. He wished he could see if the man had any bruises or anything that showed that he was injured.

He sighed and slowly reached his hand out. He let his fingertips ghost over the man's bare chest, trying to feel for any irregularities on the man's body. He searched for bandages, denting, scars, anything that spoke pain. He listened as Grimmjow groan at the touches and felt the man turn over on his side. Ichigo's hand ghosted over his arm before he felt the muscles in the man's back flex.

He could feel the heat in his face rise at the feel of the Grimmjows's flexing muscles under taut and smooth skin. He never thought touching another man would flare up some type of passion in his soul. He always thought a woman would be the one that would grasp the fire in him, but Grimmjow seemed to bring something out in him that he never knew he had. He had always been neutral about everyone else around him, not seeing the deep feelings people had for him.

Now that he had Grimmjow, he could see how other people felt. He could understand the feelings of liking someone so much that you would give up your own self just for them. That you would do anything just to be with them. He could understand the feelings Orihime had had for him now.

He sighed and lowered himself deeper into the warm covers, laying his head on his pillow. He pushed closer to the older man, surprised that he turned over. He felt long arms wrap around him and pull him closer.

"Grimmjow?" He listened to see if the man would respond, but all he received was a mumble of incoherent words sounding like 'beef tacos'. Ichigo smiled and snuggled closer against the man's chest, enjoying how Grimmjow unconsciously tightened his grip. "…Goodnight."

* * *

Luppi was furious. He couldn't believe how he had reacted. He didn't mean for things to turn out the way they did. He didn't mean to hurt Grimmjow. He couldn't believe he had hurt the man he loved. The worse part was that Grimmjow refused to press charges. He claimed that Luppi wasn't worth the time and energy. That had made the petite man feel that much more worthless. He didn't understand why Grimmjow couldn't just love him. That's all he had ever wanted. He wanted to be cared for and loved by the man that he loved.

Luppi sighed as he sat on the expensive canapé style couch in his parent's large western style house. After the incident with Grimmjow, he had gone straight to his parent's house to cry in his mother's arms. He was devastated and needed his mother to help him with the pain.

He sat there, gazing down at his cup of coffee and a plate of cookies, waiting for her to return to the parlor. He didn't know what to do now. His actions had screwed up any chance of ever getting Grimmjow back. He could feel the sadness in him growing and ready to explode and he could feel the tears pushing forward.

"Luppi, dear." The dark haired man looked up to see his mother making her way back over to the couch. Her short, navy blue dress molded to her hips as she walked and her long obsidian hair was brushed over one shoulder. Luppi always thought that his mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. He watched as she sat down next to him and he quickly lowered his head into her lap.

"Mommy." He sighed when he felt his mother's manicured fingers running through his short hair. "I messed up…big time. I don't know what to do now. I really hurt him."

"Oh, sweetie, you did go a little overboard. I know you love him, but you can't go scaring him off. Do you think that's how I got your father?"

"…No."

"Absolutely. I pushed and pushed until your father gave in and look at us now. We are still together, even after twenty-five years. Have you figured out if he's dating anyone else?"

"…No. He should still be single." Luppi hoped he was still single. He really didn't think he could take it if the man was wrapping his arms around someone else. He didn't want to think about the blunet's lips on someone else. He gripped the fabric on his mother's dress, pulling it tight into his fists.

She softly massaged his back, trying to sooth her little boy of the pain.

"Well, give him some time and go see him again. You were able to see him at his job, so next time, try to be…inconspicuous."

* * *

**One Week Later**

Ichigo couldn't believe that Grimmjow was leaving tomorrow evening. He didn't want the man to go. It hadn't been enough time and he worried that he wouldn't be able to do right without him. He debated going with Grimmjow to America, but he just wasn't ready for something that extensive. He was still trying to get used to moving around Japan. To move to an unknown place would just be that much harder.

After pestering the man about the incident at work, Grimmjow had finally up and told him (though he wasn't happy about it). Ichigo had learned that the blunet was dealing with what he claimed as a 'psychotic ex-boyfriend'. Ichigo had found out that after breaking up with the petite man, also known as Luppi, Grimmjow had been through hell with him. The smaller man seemed to be trying to weasel his way back into the older man's life and Grimmjow had been stressing over it.

Ichigo couldn't believe that someone loved Grimmjow so much that they could turn into something so horrible. He could understand falling in love with the blunet. He was a great man, but what Grimmjow was speaking off was some kind of fatal attraction. It just wasn't healthy and Ichigo hoped that no more harm would befall onto Grimmjow. When Ichigo stated his worries, Grimmjow had said he was more worried about him and his relationship with him.

Ichigo didn't understand why, but he was glad that Grimmjow cared enough about him to be worried for his safety. It made Ichigo feel tingly inside and happy that he had someone like Grimmjow.

Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed, petting Pantera as he waited for Grimmjow to get ready. The man was getting dressed so that he and Ichigo could go out to dinner at some restaurant Ichigo knew nothing about. They had gone on plenty of dates, but they had yet gone out to dinner together and Grimmjow was determined to go. They had to stop by the club so that he could pick up his last check and grab the remainder of his things still there. Unknown to Ichigo, the blunet also had wanted to play the song he had been working hard on for the smaller male.

He had perfected it before he sent his keyboard up to America, so now he was ready to play it for Ichigo to hear. He wouldn't say that he was nervous, but he was just hoping that the oranget would enjoy it. He could feel his brows folding into each other as he stared in the mirror, trying to put his tie on. He hated wearing them so much, but he wanted to look different from his normal, casual self.

He knew Ichigo couldn't see him, but that didn't really matter to him. He grumbled at his frustration and sighed.

"Grimmjow? What's wrong?"

"This…stupid tie." Ichigo smiled a little and rose from his seat on the bed, letting Pantera jump from his lap. He tentatively made his way over to Grimmjow. The blunet watched Ichigo in the mirror before turning around, wondering what he was about to do.

He watched as Ichigo's hands ghosted up his chest, clad in a light gray button down before they made it to his neck. He could feel Ichigo's hand pulling softly at the long decorated silk fabric around his neck. He watched the boy's face, looking at the concentration as the boy started to do his necktie. His long fingers smoothed down each side and they began to fold the tie into a Windsor knot.

Grimmjow knew he should probably be watching Ichigo's hands, but he couldn't take his azure orbs off of the man's face in front of him. Ichigo's brows were creased in concentration as he scowled at how he was folding the tie. Looping in and up, out and over, he created a perfect knot and pulled it up slowly against Grimmjow's neck.

"Better?" Grimmjow licked his lips and turned his attention back to the mirror. He was surprised, but really couldn't say much.

"…Yeah, much better."

Ichigo smiled. "Good. Now can we go?"

Grimmjow snorted. "Yeah…let's go."

* * *

Stepping into  _Dangai_  Lounge Club, Grimmjow and Ichigo had gotten the shock of their lives. Well Grimmjow mostly did, since he had been standing in front of Ichigo. He gazed around to see the place full to the brim with people. He wondered what was going on for it to be so packed during the weekday. He softly pulled Ichigo close to him, telling the man to stay close as he maneuvered them throughout the club.

Almost making it to the back room, he was stopped by his boss, Aizen.

"Grimmjow. You have finally arrived."

The man's blue eyebrow arched and he could feel Ichigo pulling himself closer. "Yeah, I came to get my last paycheck."

"In all due time, but you have a party to attend to."

"A who, what, who?"

"A party. This is your farewell party, after all." Grimmjow's eyebrows shot up and he glanced around to look at all the people in the club. Some he didn't notice, but the more he looked, the more he noticed his friends were scatter around the large place. "I couldn't just see my best employee off without a farewell. That would be rude of me."

"What the hell, Aizen? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a surprise. I know how much you enjoy them." The calm man smiled softly and made his way through the crowd, disappearing as if the conversation was over.

"I fuckin' hate surprises."

"…Oh, my bad." Grimmjow looked over his shoulder to see Ichigo with a sheepish look on his face. He turned his full attention to the smaller male.

"You knew about this?" Ichigo only nodded as he rocked back and forth on his feet. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise…"

"…"

"Surprise?" Ichigo said as he smiled big. Grimmjow clicked his tongue in annoyance. He wasn't really mad. He just hated being surprised. He ran a hand through his hair as he stared at all the people that had come. He guessed he could push aside his aggravation and try to have some fun. He would be leaving soon, so it wouldn't hurt. he guessed dinner would have to wait for another time.

A few hours into the party, Grimmjow started to relax. He seriously still didn't like the fact that he was caught off guard, but he did enjoy being around his friends and Ichigo. He tried to stay away from alcohol, knowing that he was the one that would have to be driving home. He watched as Ichigo and Orihime chatted away, sipping on what he guessed was non-alcoholic drinks.

He was actually surprised to see the orange haired woman at the party. She obviously had come with Ulquiorra, but he didn't think she would have wanted to come. He didn't know if she despised him or not, but it seemed like she was enjoying herself. He was surprised that she wasn't following the little midget woman wherever she went. he guessed she was over that after what had happened. He glanced over to see Ulquiorra secretly smiling at Orihime as if no one was looking his way.

Grimmjow couldn't believe his eyes. He had known the dark haired man for years and he had never seen the man crack even the tiniest smile. It freaked Grimmjow out, but he was also kind of glad that someone could break that exterior shell on his best friend. It was about time that Ulquiorra found happiness and the blunet was glad the orange haired girl was the one.

She seemed like she could be the perfect candidate for the dark haired man, being that she was his complete opposite. And they did say opposites attract.

"Grimmjow…" The blunet looked over when he heard Orihime speak to him. "So you are leaving tomorrow. Are you ready to go?" Grimmjow was far from ready to go. He still couldn't believe he would be moving to America and working as a symphony pianist. It felt like a dream come true for him, but every time he thought about it, he thought about leaving Ichigo. They had only been together for a few months, but it had seemed so much longer.

He glanced at Ichigo to see the boy looking towards him. Milky, white eyes looked as if they were trying to penetrate his very soul. Grimmjow knew he wasn't ready to go, but it was what needed to be done. He was pursuing his dream and he knew Ichigo understood that. He knew the boy would be okay without him. He was strong and determined to be independent. Of course, he was going to miss waking up to that sweet smelling vermillion hair. He was going to miss gazing into colorless orbs and talking about random things with the smaller man, but he wasn't saying goodbye. He was just saying see you later.

"I'm not ready to go, but I'm glad that I am going." Ichigo smiled at the statement and looked away. He was happy for Grimmjow. He was going to miss him, but he didn't want to keep him away from following what he wanted to do. He knew it was going to be hard, but he was determined to get through the months of depending on himself. And when the time came to see Grimmjow again, he would enjoy it with everything in him.

* * *

Luppi scowled at Loly as they made their way towards the lounge club Grimmjow worked at. He couldn't believe he was going to try to talk to Grimmjow again. He couldn't believe that Loly made him put on a disguise. He felt like a complete idiot. Even if he did look hot, he didn't want to go as someone else. He sighed as he pushed another strand out long black hair out of his face. Yes, he was wearing a wig. A wig!

Loly said that it would be better to be in disguise just in case if someone recognized them and threw them out. He agreed, but still didn't like the idea. He pulled at his tight purple dress, trying to make sure it didn't slide up too much. He was dressed as a woman and Loly was dressed as a man, pretending to be some couple.

They stepped into the club, surprised that it was packed full with people. They made their way over to an empty booth, hiding away from the large crowd of the people. Luppi looked around for any sight of blue hair and zeroed in on the aqua locks. He watched as Grimmjow started making his way up towards the raised stage where a slick and gleaming black piano was situated.

He wasn't sure when was the last time he had heard Grimmjow play the piano, but he knew the man could play like no other. He was actually excited to listen and watch as his beloved did the thing he loved to do. He could push aside his mission just so that he could hear whatever the man was willing to play.

"Hey, everyone," Grimmjow's voice boomed from a lonely microphone that was standing on the stage. "I guess I should be happy that everyone came out tonight, even if I knew nothing about it." Luppi listened to the collective laughing from the visitors and wondered what the blunet was talking about. "This is my last night here and I am really sad to be leaving, but I'm going off to bigger and better things. No offence, Aizen. …Well, maybe a little bit. Anyway, this is the last song I'm going to be playing on this lovely piano. It has seen a good few years with me and I guess I should bid it a little farewell too."

Luppi wondered where Grimmjow was going and if it was some place far. He just didn't understand anything. He wished he could run up to the man and ask, but he didn't want to be thrown out. All he could do was sit, wait and watch. He watched as Grimmjow made his way over towards the piano and sat down on the black bench. Lifting the black lid that revealed the piano keys, he listened, wondering what the man was going to play.

* * *

Grimmjow took back everything he thought earlier that day. He was bloody nervous. This was one song he didn't want to screw up. This one song was meant to be played perfectly. He could feel all eyes on him and knew it was now or never.

_[Through the Fire and Flames – Dragonforce]_

He had practiced the song countless times on his keyboard at home, but after not hearing it for so long it sounded so much stronger. Or maybe it was the fact that he was playing on a high-end grand piano. The piano produced a melody that sounded totally different from before. He couldn't believe he had actually written something that sounded so beautiful, yet it seriously could kick some ass. It was quick, but it didn't sound like he was just banging on the keys. The melody went from soft to a complete rock out and he would seriously play this song out if he could.

It was perfect. It was perfectly Ichigo in every way possible. If the orange haired man had a theme song, that would be it. Grimmjow knew he was getting ahead of himself, but he just couldn't believe how much he was enjoying playing that song. He could feel his lips turning upright into his normal trademark smirk. He could do this. He could go to America and play the piano. He could write and write until he was fit to be one of the greatest composers of his time. He didn't want to always play other people's music. He wanted to be able to play his own. He wanted to be able to listen to the radio or watch TV and hear his music being played. He wanted to do this for Ichigo, for his mother. And most of all, he wanted to do it for himself. He was going to do something he enjoyed for as long as he lived. He would push aside the drama and the thoughts of how Luppi helped make his life a living wreck.

he knew the petite man wasn't the only reason his life had been shit so far. He knew he had been slacking on life, but he had gotten out of that rut and he felt like everything was going to get better. He had everything he wanted. He was going to America to pursue his dream. He had his confidence back. And he had Ichigo. He was happy and he was proud of himself. Of course there were still some things to fix in his life, but he knew he wasn't perfect and he knew things took time. He smiled, remembering what his mother had always told him.  _"Perfection is never perfect."_ He always thought it sounded crazy, but the more he thought about it, it was right on the money.

He couldn't believe a song he written especially for Ichigo made him feel so alive. He guessed it was the infulence the boy had on him. The oranget seemed to bring something out in him that he was trying to hide from everyone else. He was never a man to keep what he felt bottled in, but he was always scared to express himself to someone he could see as a significant other. But now, it was far less harder with someone like Ichigo around. He could relate to the oranget and everything he tried to express in his day to day life. He could understand how much Ichigo wanted to stand up on his own two feet and depend on no one but himself. He knew he and Ichigo had trouble with asking people for help, but they were willing to depend on each other. Even if they really didn't want to, they felt comforatable about it.

He was coming to the close of the song, his spirits lifted and he worked his fingers across that piano like there was no tomorrow, enjoying how the song was smoothed into an ending. He was ready. Ready for anything that was going to come his way, and he would fight with everything he had.

* * *

Ichigo sat at the booth next to Orihime with a big smile on his face. He knew Grimmjow was amazing. He knew the man would never have a problem with the way he played the piano. It was in his nature. He listened as Inoue practically squealed with excitement over how good the song was. Ichigo had to admit, it was a fiery song. He wondered if it was one of the songs Grimmjow had written. He knew the man had been working on new types of music to create. He was ecstatic that the blunet was finally moving alone in his life and doing what he set his mind to.

Ichigo thought it was time for him to do the same. He wasn't scared anymore. He would be able to find his independence again. He wasn't going to let his blindness keep him worrying about things. He was ready to accept the fact that he liked Grimmjow more than just a friend. It had been hard for him to get passed that. He didn't exectly know what the feelings were, but he didn't want to put a label on them. He was ready now. He was ready to accept his feelings and move forward. He blushed at the thought. He didn't know what two men did anyway. He knew Grimmjow knew so he guessed he wouldn't be kept in the dark about it.

He didn't want the man to leave without them going a little further. He knew he could probably wait three months for the man to come back, but he just didn't want to wait any longer. He was ready now.

He listened to the clapping and whistling that was coming from everyone in the club. "He is so good!" Ichigo couldn't agree more with Inoue. The man was a serious artist. After a while, he felt a shift on the seat next to him and he could smell the unique smell of Grimmjow. He just wanted to lean over and press his lips against the bigger man's. He blushed at his thought. He couldn't wait to be alone with the man. He listened as Grimmjow and Inoue spoke to each other, Ulquiorra interjecting every now and then.

He wanted to say something, but he wasn't sure what to say to the blunet. He felt a long arm wrap around his waist and his face turned the color of beets. He listened as Grimmjow started to whisper in his ear.

"What are you thinkin' about, Ichi?"

"…Uh-uhm, I was just…thinking that…the song you played was great. Did you write that one?"

Grimmjow chuckled and Ichigo could feel the man's fingers stroking at the fabric situated across his torso. "Wrote it just for you." Ichigo's eyes widened and he slowly turned his attention towards the man next to him. For him? Grimmjow had wrote it for him?

"Wh-wha?"

"I wrote it for you. Did you like it?" Ichigo could only nod, his face hot and red. "You're blushing."

"Am not!" Grimmjow just chuckled and leaned over to capture Ichigo's lips. The boy instantly melted, leaning into the broad, warm chest. He could do this. He was ready for Grimmjow. He was ready to feel the man completely and be enveloped in his love. If Grimmjow was willing to accept him, then he was willing to give the blunet even more.

* * *

Luppi couldn't believe his eyes. He could feel something in him boiling with hate and anger. The thumping in his ears was making it hard to hear anything around him and his body shook. Who the hell was that orange-headed freak? How dare he touch Grimmjow! How dare Grimmjow touch him! Luppi continued to gaze at the scene before him. His lavender eyes went ablaze with fury and his small hands curled into deadly tight fists.

The petite man couldn't accept the fact that Grimmjow was making out with some blind carrot top for all to see. Grimmjow was his. His. His!  _HIS!_ Luppi's eyes narrowed and he could hear himself growling like some rabid beast. Loly gazed with wide eyes at her best friend, worried. She had never seen him so angry in the many years they've known each other. Sure, the man got upset sometimes, but she could practically see the animosity rolling off of the man.

Luppi refused to let this continue. If Grimmjow didn't want him and wanted that abomination, then Luppi would have to find a way to get rid of it. The threat would be long gone and Luppi would have Grimmjow back in his arms again. A sinister smile curled on his lips as he continued to gaze at the two men.  _He was so dead._


	10. Chapter 10

Ichigo's body was on fire. He could feel his limbs shaking and quivering. His spine tingled and his lips felt as if he tasted the sweetest yet hottest entrée in the universe. Grimmjow's lips never tasted so good. His body never felt so alive. He imagined it would be far more intense if they had gone farther. He could feel the blunet's hands all over the place, practically trying to cling to him. He felt those hands slip into the back of his slacks and kneed at his flesh. Ichigo gasped against Grimmjow's lips, but refused to pull away. He wanted this. He wanted Grimmjow.

He felt an overwhelming sense of greed for the man. The blunet was everything he could ever ask for. He was the very person who helped him stay on track and become as determined as he once was. He was the very man that could spark something foreign in him. He felt himself grind against Grimmjow and heard the larger man underneath him groan with pleasure. He didn't remember how they manage to get out of the club or even into the car. All Ichigo could remember was throwing himself onto Grimmjow. He remembered that the man didn't protest him when he asked if they could go all the way. Grimmjow had asked him if he was really sure, but the blunet received no answer other then lips pressed against his. It had become a battle of tongues, a war for dominance and Grimmjow was surprised Ichigo wouldn't relinquish to him.

Maybe that was why Grimmjow enjoyed Ichigo so much. The man would fight to the very last straw. He refused to give up on anything. He refused to be seen as someone who could be defeated so easily. So there they were, lying across Ichigo's bed, trying to battle their way to the top. Ichigo didn't seem to mind. He quite enjoyed kissing the bigger man. It always set him ablaze with passion.

Ichigo started to pull away, worried that he would collapse from being breathless. His lips were swollen and wet, but that didn't seem to stop Grimmjow. He felt soft, hot lips on his neck and Ichigo moaned deeply into the pitch-black room. The moon was high, shining through the one window in the boy's room. Ichigo could only feel. He could only smell and hear. He arched his neck to the side, giving Grimmjow more access and he felt hands quickly trying to remove the buttons from his top. He gasped when he heard a ripping sound and chuckled softly when he heard Grimmjow mumble an apology.

At the very moment, he didn't care about his clothes. He wished he was completely naked. He wished he wasn't confined behind those fabrics.

"It's okay," Ichigo breathed. He felt the fabric slip away and hands immediately started to ghost over his skin. Grimmjow's hands were so soft. They were so experienced. He felt long fingers push and press, massaging his chest and the oranget arched into the touches. Ichigo could feel a tongue lapping at his collarbone and working its way down to his pert nipples. He could hear Grimmjow moaning and felt hot breath on his nipple before it was encased in wet heat. Ichigo's hands flew to the man's blue locks and ran his fingers through the soft un-gelled hair. He moaned, burying his face in those locks and ground himself down onto Grimmjow.

"I-Ichi, you're killin' me, here."

"S-sorry, feels so good."

"I'm glad." Ichigo was too. He never thought that such an act would send sparks straight to her nether regions. "I've wanted you so badly." Ichigo lifted his head from Grimmjow's hair and let his lips descend towards the blunet's. He pressed his lips against the man's, feeling his own hands start to make their way to Grimmjow's shirt.

He pulled at the tie, letting it loosen and fall before going for the buttons. He undid one after another, pecking Grimmjow's lips in-between. Finally undoing it completely, he let his hands rake up Grimmjow's chest. He could feel rippling abs and corded muscles, hard to the touch. He had touched the blunet many times, but he never knew his body was so athletic. He was jealous. He had muscles as well, but from the feel of Grimmjow, there wasn't a comparison. The man was strong, fierce and stunning. He let his fingertips ghost over Grimmjow's skin, mapping out every ridge, muscle and dip. His fingers rubbed over hard nipples and he felt the man shudder under him. His hands continued to run up and over the man's shoulders, letting the top fall off and onto the bed. "I want you too, Grimmjow."

He found himself being flipped over and he felt the back of his head softly hit the plush pillow. Ichigo wished he could see what Grimmjow looked like at that very moment. He wished he could see the man's body. He wished he could see the expression on his face. He could feel a scowl starting to appear on his face and he felt a shift on the bed.

"Don't make that face."

"…Sorry." Grimmjow just chuckled and he felt the man slid between his legs. Ichigo was starting to get nervous. He was really about to go that far with Grimmjow and he wasn't sure how he was suppose to react. He gulped and bit down on his lip. He felt hands on his body again and could feel the heat from Grimmjow's larger body above him. Lips descended to his neck and started to suck. He felt them raining kisses down his chest and across both of his nipples, earning a moan from him. The blunet's hands slid down the sides of his waist to his hips and he felt a tongue plunge into his navel. It was quick, but it seemed to get him excited. Grimmjow's mouth continued to lower and Ichigo felt a pull at his slacks.

Buttons undid, Grimmjow started to unzip and slipped the pants off, throwing them over his shoulder. He blew out a breath and reached for Ichigo's boxer briefs. He felt a hand on top of his and looked up. Ichigo's unseeing eyes were gazing in his direction and his face was pulled into an expression of fear and worry. The blunet knew Ichigo would be afraid. He knew the boy would be nervous so he vowed to himself to take it slow. He wanted this experience to be memorable for them both.

"Ichigo…" He watched the boy bite his bottom lip and felt the smaller hand grip his tighter. He could feel it shaking and he wondered if he should just stop. "Tell me to stop and I will." Ichigo shook his head and slowly let go of Grimmjow's hand.

"I-I'm okay, keep going." Grimmjow nodded and gazed back down at the underwear separating himself from all of Ichigo. Now he was getting nervous. He knew he had done things like this countless time, but it felt far more special with the orange haired man. It surprised him how confused he was about things when it came to Ichigo. He chuckled quietly to himself and dropped his head onto Ichigo's groin. "Ahh-" The boy's hands flew over his mouth, trying to cover up what had just come out.

Grimmjow had already heard it and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard. It was as if he was working his hands across a piano, playing it, making it produce beautiful music. He smiled to himself, realizing that he shouldn't be worrying. "Let me hear you again." Grimmjow pressed his mouth to the lump that was formed in the smaller male's underwear. He rubbed at it, kneading the hard-on with his mouth. Ichigo's voice sung out again, but he tried to keep it confined behind his hands. "Don't hide it. I want to hear you, Ichigo."

The boy slowly pulled his hands from his mouth and felt his underwear being pulled off. He felt hands on his thighs, spreading him open farther. Ichigo knew he was blushing a deep red, glad it was hidden in the darkness. He heard Grimmjow murmur something but he couldn't hear it with the blood thumping in his ears. He was completely naked, laying out all for Grimmjow to see. His hands flew to his face, trying to hide his embarrassment and he let out a moan when he felt Grimmjow's mouth on him. He had never felt so embarrassed in all his life.

Grimmjow was in his own little world, his hand on the base of Ichigo's cock and his tongue working around the cylinder shaft. He nibbled at the skin, loving the way Ichigo's voice was letting him know just how good it felt. He dragged his tongue up, letting Ichigo's member get wet before he engulfed it into his mouth. He moaned around it, savoring the boy's sweet taste and he started to bob his head slowly, creating a smooth pace. He felt hands start to entangle themselves into his hair and listened to Ichigo's voice cry in ecstasy. The boy sounded so sexy and he didn't know if he could continue. He wanted Ichigo so badly that he could feel himself dripping with desire. "Gr-Grimm…I'm about to…" He started to speed up the pace, sucking harder around the boy. Fingers gripped tighter and Grimmjow fought the urge to gag as Ichigo's hips started to thrust upwards. He hadn't expected it, but he managed to relax his throat for it. He let the oranget continue to thrust, his own cock twitching with excitement. He felt a spurt of cum start to trickle down his throat and he pulled away, letting the rest, slide across his tongue.

After awhile, he started to feel Ichigo soften in his mouth and pulled away. He gazed down at the boy, wiping his mouth with his forearm. Ichigo looked throughly ravished. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, his body stained a soft pink color and his body perspiring. He slid his body up Ichigo's, letting his hands slide up the sides. His lips melded with Ichigo's and the boy sighed against them. Grimmjow started to slip his pants and boxers off, wanting to feel his naked body against Ichigo's. Grinding down, he could feel Ichigo's body reacting quickly. Limp flesh started to rise again and he knew the oranget was ready for the next part. He rose up and reached over to his side of the bed and grabbed a condom and a small bottle of lube. He looked down at his cock, noticing it was rock hard, throbbing and dripping. He sighed and quickly opened the bottle, dripping lube onto his fingers.

"I have to prepare you, Ichigo." Ichigo just nodded, not sure of what to say. "Can you turn over for me?" Ichigo slowly turned over, his face still sporting a nice shade of red. He couldn't believe he was in such a position. He buried his face into the pillow, his chest against the bed and his behind high in the air. He jerked when he felt Grimmjow's hand squeeze one of his cheeks and felt him push it to the side. "It's going to feel a little weird, but let me know if it hurts too much." Ichigo nodded into his pillow and tried to prepare himself.

He felt a finger slide across his hole and gripped the sheets. It pushed, penetrating the small puckered hole and Ichigo gasped at the awkward feeling. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. It felt unnatural and that made his body quiver and him push back onto the finger invading him. Grimmjow seemed to get that it wasn't bothering Ichigo and he started to slowly thrust his finger, adding another after a while. He grabbed the lube, opening it and poured some over the crack of Ichigo's ass. He watched as the liquid slid over the hole as he continued to stretch the tight passageway. He pushed deeper, looking for that sweet pleasure gland. He rubbed the pads of his fingers around and smirked when Ichigo involuntarily moaned. His whole body shook and he gripped the sheets tighter.

"Looks like you're ready." He continued to jab at the button inside, savoring the sweet cries slipping from Ichigo. Grabbing the condom with his other hand, he ripped it open with his teeth. He pulled his fingers from Ichigo, earning a whimper and he quickly went to work sliding the condom around his hard-on. "Turn over, Ichi. I wanna see you."

Ichigo quickly turned back over, laying back down and quickly spread his legs. He was ready. He couldn't wait any longer. Those touches had felt indescribable and he was ready to be connected to Grimmjow. The blunet gazed down at the boy as he softly gripped his thighs. He crawled closer and pressed the tip of himself against the puckered hole. He pushed, never taking his eyes off of Ichigo's face. The oranget moaned loudly, tears softly falling from his wide-open eyes.

Grimmjow continued to push, not stopping until he was completely engulfed by Ichigo. He hunched over Ichigo, panting harshly and ground his hips, trying to fight the impulse to move. He slid his hands across the bed, letting them sit to the sides of Ichigo's face.

Ichigo's legs slid up and out, massaging the skin of Grimmjow's legs. "I-I'm ready." The blunet nodded, pulling out and slowly pushing back in. He started and crawling pace, wanting Ichigo to get used to the feeling. His body yearned to pound into Ichigo, but he knew he wouldn't be able to unless the boy asked for it. Ichigo's body felt so good and he groaned at the way he was being squeezed.

"M-more, Grimm. Y-you…can go faster." Grimmjow sighed in relief and grabbed Ichigo's thighs. He pushed them down, opening up the boy for him and started to quicken his pace. He drove deep into Ichigo. "Ahh…yess!" Ichigo could feel himself pushing back against Grimmjow, loving how good it felt to finally have him. He gripped the sheets, turning his head to the side, and feeling himself being filled and emptied. "Ngh…so good."

Grimmjow couldn't agree more. He felt his forehead perspiring and his hips jerking, not wanting to stop as he continued to thrust into that tight heat. Ichigo was so tight and his muscles squeezed and contracted. Grimmjow changed his angle, deepening his thrusts and jabbed straight at the oranget's prostate. "Fuck," Grimmjow groaned. He lowered himself and laid flat against Ichigo, still working his hips. He pressed his lips against Ichigo's and felt arms wrap around his neck.

Ichigo was in a world of bliss. He never thought it would feel like this. He always worried about people taking advantage of him. He always worried about how his life experiences would play in his relationships. He had wondered how his blindness would make people see him, but he never thought he would find someone like Grimmjow. The man was a gift, a relief to all his worries and doubts. He was a man that could keep him straight and focused. Grimmjow was someone he could never let go.

It was funny. He had never thought he would fall in love with anyone. It wasn't something he ever thought about. His mind was always filled with worries about his sister's education. He worried about fitting in with his blindness. He worried about medical bills and money. He worried about life in general, but he never worried about love. He never worried about finding love. But now there was Grimmjow. Now there was love. Now there was hope and happiness and though it made him so mushy and girly, he didn't care. He was happy. He was filled to the brim with devotion and he would dedicate a piece of himself to Grimmjow. He would fight for his relationship with this man.

He felt Grimmjow pull away and he panted softly, feeling the man's forehead against his. He could still feel the man sliding in and out of him and he ran his hands over his chest and arms. He started to chant the bigger man's name, and he felt lips descend onto his neck, sucking away and leaving behind signs of what was happening that night. He could feel himself getting closer and he wondered if Grimmjow was getting there as well.

"Grimm…I'm al-almost- touch me." He felt a hand slide down his chest and abdomen before feeling fingers wrap around his member and stroke. Grimmjow paced his strokes to match his thrusting. He could feel himself getting closer as well and quickened his pace. He felt Ichigo tighten up around him and watched the boy's face as he felt cum shooting out from Ichigo's cock. The boy's back arched and he screamed Grimmjow's name before he laid panting and twitching slightly on the sheets. It was the blunet's turn and he could already feel the coiling in his belly and the tightness in his balls. His toes gripped and curled against the sheets and he grunted Ichigo's name, shooting into the condom separating him from the inside of the boy.

His body shook and collapsed to the side of Ichigo, panting harshly as well. They both lay there, enjoying the aftershocks and trying to catch their breath. Grimmjow finally got his breathing back to normal and started to move. He slowly pulled out of Ichigo and started to roll the condom off. He slipped off of the bed and walked around it, tying the end of the condom and threw it in the wastebasket. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Ichigo gazing out in front of him.

"Where are you going?"

"Wash cloth. I need to clean you up.

"Mmm, don't worry about it, come back to bed." The blunet turned back towards the bed and slipped back onto it. He slid closer to Ichigo and the boy casually sifted even closer. "M' cold." Grimmjow chuckled and pulled the covers over them. He continued to gaze down at Ichigo before running a hand through his slightly damp tangerine locks. The boy's eyes were slowly drifting close and he could feel the sleep pushing on him as well. He wasn't sure if he could sleep though. He would be leaving tomorrow and his mind was going a mile a minute with excitement and apprehension. The realization of what was going on hit him like a large semi truck. He was going to be leaving the place he lived in for his entire life and moving to a whole new place.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around Ichigo, burying his head into the soft orange locks. He was worried about leaving Ichigo. He hoped that he would be okay being so far away from him, but most of all he hoped that he himself would be okay. It would have been easier if he had been alone and was going to America, but now that he had Ichigo…he just didn't have the heart to want to leave. He knew Ichigo would scold him about thinking that way, but how could he not?

Ichigo meant more to him than playing the piano. He chuckled softly into the soft hair. Yeah, he meant way more.

* * *

Grimmjow gazed down at the suitcases sitting around Ichigo's living room. The majority of them were packed and ready. He sighed, scrubbing his hands down his face. He was stressing already.

"Bout time your ass is gone." Grimmjow rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder to see Renji leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're jumpin' for joy inside." Grimmjow squatted down and started to grab some of his folded shirts and place them into the suitcases. He heard Renji walk over to him and glanced out the corner of his eye, seeing the man squat near him.

"Don't take this the wrong way. I still hate you with every fiber in me, but…" Renji sighed, looking away and Grimmjow could have sworn he could see the man pouting. "You did a good thing for Ichigo…I guess."

"You guess."

"...Yeah. He seems happier than before. He's willing to do a lot more now. He isn't as afraid and I guess…I guess it was because of you." Grimmjow snorted and went back to placing his clothing into his suitcase. "Just, look whatever…"

"Well, I think while I'm gone, he's still going to need a little help. You're the only guy friend he has, so don't be a douche. And don't treat him like a baby." Renji frowned and rose into a standing position, Grimmjow following suit.

"So…you really weren't playing with his emotions. You really do care about him."

"Of course. Did you really think I was fucking around this whole time? If I didn't care I wouldn't have wasted my time." Grimmjow frowned, looking at Renji. "Everyone isn't out to get Ichigo."

"Ye-yeah, I know that. I'm just-"

"A little too over-protective of him? Yeah, I know." Grimmjow gave a lop-sided grin. "Don't worry, I am too. I just know how to hide it better than you."

"Ass."

"Grimmjow!"

"In here, Ichigo!" Grimmjow glanced back over to Renji. "Hey, thanks for getting the stick out of your ass and acting as if you have aged a bit. I appreciate it."

"I'm not doing it for you."

"Good, I'm glad." Grimmjow turned his attention to Ichigo, trying to figure out what the oranget was talking about. Renji gazed at the two, an expressionless look on his face. He didn't know if he should be happy or angry when he looked at those two, but he guessed he could be neutral about it. He was still angry that Ichigo chose the blunet over him, but it was Ichigo's decision, not his and he knew he had to respect that. He was still Ichigo's best friend and it was time for him to start acting like it again.

"How about I take you to the airport?" Grimmjow and Ichigo looked over at Renji and he could feel himself blushing a little. "I-I mean, it would be cheaper than catching a cab."

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Let me get the rest of my stuff from the bedroom." Ichigo was still gazing in the direction of Renji and smiled at him.

"Thanks, Renji."

"It's…uh, the least I could do, I guess. I mean, after all the shit I put him through."

"So does that mean you're friends with him now?"

"Hell no!" Ichigo just chuckled and listened as Grimmjow came back into the room.

"K, I think I got everything." Grimmjow sighed and looked over at Ichigo.

"Uh, I'll just…leave you two alone." Renji reached for Grimmjow's suitcases and started to haul them out the front door.

"…Ichigo."

"I'm having second thoughts, Grimmjow. Maybe I should come with you."

"You can't. You have Yuzu and Karin here. You can't just leave them. What happened to getting your independence back?" Ichigo frowned and reached out for Grimmjow. The man grabbed his hand and pulled him to his chest. Ichigo buried his face against the man, savoring the smell of him.

"I-I know, but it's going to be lonely without you."

"You have Panthera. You have Renji and Orihime. You aren't going to feel lonely. I bet you'll forget all about me once I'm out the door."

"Lies." Grimmjow just chuckled and buried his face in Ichigo's hair.

"I'll be back," the blunet mumbled. "In three months, I'll be back and I'll tell you how great San Francisco is. I'll tell you about the shows I played. I'll buy you CDs of my performances and send them to you, so you can hear me play all the time. It'll be as if I'm right next to you until I come back. I'll do whatever, just wait for me. Don't go trying to replace me."

"Never… Never. Never. Never. There's only you, Grimmjow."

"Good to know. Now, I gotta get going." Ichigo pulled his face away and looked up. He could feel the prickling at the corner of his eyes, but he refused to cry. He was a man and men didn't cry. He took a deep breath, but he felt a tear push pass the barrier and fall. "No, crying."

"I'm not crying!" Ichigo said, scowling up at the blunet.

Grimmjow chuckled. "Yeah, I know." He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against Ichigo's. The smaller male pushed himself closer and ran his tongues across Grimmjow's bottom lip wanting access inside. The bigger man opened his mouth and let the berry have his way. Ichigo didn't want to stop. He didn't want Grimmjow to go, but he knew he had to.

He pulled away, panting softly. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, of course." Ichigo nodded and pulled away. He listened to Grimmjow's steps making it closer to the open door. "See ya, berry." And with that Ichigo heard the door shut softly with a click. He cautiously made his way over and started to slowly put the locks in place. He leaned his forehead against the door and sighed deeply. He was going to miss Grimmjow so much.

"See ya…Grimmjow."


	11. Chapter 11

Grimmjow sighed as he sat on the plane. He was nervous. He had never been on a plane before, let alone flying clear across the world. If he was a child, he would probably be running up and down the aisles. He sat near the window and gazed out, waiting for them to finish boarding the large airbus. He hoped it wasn't going to be full. He hoped that the seat next to him would be completely empty. He sighed again and looked down at the small envelope Renji had given him before stepping out of the car. He didn't understand where the man had gotten the sudden kindness. Grimmjow guessed it was because he was finally going to be out of the red head's hair.

Renji had told him not to open it until he was high in the air, but Grimmjow didn't know if he could wait that long. He didn't enjoy surprises and if it was something stupid, he would find himself catching a cab back to Ichigo's just to kick Renji's ass. He looked up when more people walked down the aisle.

After a while, the flight was completely boarded and Grimmjow got his wish of having privacy. He listened to the stewardess speak about rules and regulations, making sure he followed them even though he didn't want to. He didn't need his first flight to be a complete shitty one. He made sure his cell phone was off before slipping it into his jean pocket. He leaned back and watched the workers go down the aisles before quickly seating themselves.

Take off was fine, rocky, but it didn't bother Grimmjow. He just leaned back and enjoying the calming feeling. When the seat belt light went off, Grimmjow stared down at the small envelope. He slowly and calmly opened the flap, reaching his fingers inside and pulling out what seemed to be a couple of photos. When he turned one of them around, he chuckled to himself. He stared down at the photo of a young Ichigo, no more than sixteen or seventeen. The normal vibrant orange hair was still prominent, but Grimmjow looked into something he hadn't seen on the Ichigo of now. Deep, rich and expressive mahogany eyes. They had swirls of gold and were just as amazing as Ichigo's smile.

Grimmjow had seen many pictures of Ichigo around the apartment. Most of them were when he was a child, surrounded by his family mostly. He had never seen any pictures of Ichigo when he had gotten older. The fact that the boy was smiling, made Grimmjow a little relieved. He had worried that after what happened to the boy's parents that he had never smiled again. Of course he smiled now, but Ichigo had grown a lot more.

He set the picture down and turned over the next one, frowning at the image. He wondered who in their right mind would take this kind of picture. He turned it back over and saw small Kanji written off to the side.

_With Love, Yuzu_

Grimmjow smirked wide and flipped the image back was right to think that Ichigo always looked most innocent in his sleep. The calm expression that was void of any signs of scowling. His hair always looked limp and messy, but still as vibrant as the sun. His body always looked relax with a leg thrown up and over various covers and Pantera laid right in the curve of his body, held by long arms. It was something he actually enjoyed waking up to since he had stayed at Ichigo's place. And this was something he definitely had to keep by his bedside.

* * *

After being in the air for a little over twelve hours, Grimmjow touched down in San Francisco at around two in the morning. He wasn't too shocked that there were even people awake at such an early hour. Walking towards baggage claim, he could feel people staring at him. He knew he looked different, but he was sure there were weirdos even in America. He walked down the escalator and followed the signs to where he could pick up his baggage. He walked by a guy in a black suit only to backtrack when he saw his name on the medium sized rectangular card.

The man holding the card gazed at Grimmjow as if the man was about to steal his wallet. He started to shiver at the glare of death he was receiving from the much larger man.

"Ca-can I help you, sir?" Grimmjow just rolled his eyes. He understood what the man had said and to bypass any hassle, he pulled out his passport to show the nicely dressed young man. The man gazed down at it before glancing back up to Grimmjow. "Ah, Grimmjow, sir! Oh, you probably don't understand me!"

The man cleared his throat and started to speak in Japanese. "Grimmjow-sama, I am Hanatarō Yamada. I will be your driver and assistant until you get familiar with San Francisco."

"They chose…you…to be my assistant?" Hanatarō nodded, his hat falling forward across his brow. Grimmjow frowned, but he guessed the shrimp was better than no one. "Well, I need to get my bags from baggage claim. Oh, and you don't have to call me  _sama_ , Grimmjow is just fine." Hanatarō nodded again and followed after the blunet.

He wondered what Byakuya was thinking to have someone so young and small be his assistant. He guessed he couldn't judge a book by it cover. He learned that lesson countless times with Luppi. Grabbing a couple of his bags, he watched as Hanatarō grabbed the last one, only to drop it.

"If it's too heavy-"

"I got it, sir." Grimmjow gave a lop-sided smirk down at the younger man. He could see the boy was strong-willed even if he looked like a total wimp. He guessed that the little guy wouldn't be so bad. "If you are ready, the car is waiting outside." Grimmjow nodded and followed behind the dark haired man.

Grimmjow wasn't looking at much as he followed after Hanatarō. He could feel his body starting to shut down after the long flight and practically no sleep. He hadn't slept much the night before, mostly staying awake with Ichigo snuggled up next to him. His nerves had been all twisted up and he had found himself wide-awake through the whole entire night. Stepping out of the airport, he caught sight of the sky. It was deep blue, stars twinkling high in the darkness. He could smell the water in the air and wondered if it was a sign of rain or the fact that he was on an island city surrounded by a body of sea.

He sighed and continued to gaze out, in his own little world. He was unaware of the many people staring his way, probably gazing at the bright and obviously unnatural hair of his.

"Grimmjow-san." Sapphire blue eyes looked down, locking with deep blue and Grimmjow wondered what the boy wanted. "The car is here if you are ready to go." Grimmjow's eyes lowered some more and he noticed the black sedan parked next to he curb. Making his way over, he placed his bag into the open trunk and slid into the back of the car. He could feel his eyes drooping shut, but forced himself to stay awake to check the scenery. He knew he was going to be there for a while, but knowing him, he would be too busy later on to actually do much sightseeing.

He listened to the sounds of the car around him and he could feel the start of the engine. The humming of the motor was starting to lull him to sleep and he wasn't sure if he would be able to even stay awake. He leaned against the side of the door window and gazed out to see the slowly disappearing lampposts. His eyes closed shut only to open again before closing once more and his body shut down to a restful sleep.

* * *

"Grimmjow-san…"

"Grimmjow-san, it's time to wake up." The blunet groaned, stretching and wondering who would wake him up. He blinked his eyes open and looked around, trying to figure out where he was. "Grimmjow-san?" He glanced over to see the shrimpy dark haired male leaning over him. Jerking back, he gazed into blue eyes. "Ahh! I apologize, Grimmjow-san, but…we have arrived at your new place of residences." He frowned, but nodded and tiredly stepped out of the car.

He found himself in a dark underground parking garage and wondered just what kind of place he was going to live in. He never lived in a place with a parking garage and wondered if Byakuya threw him in some overpriced expensive hotel. He sighed. Right now he could care less though. All he wanted to do was sleep and enjoy a warm bed. He knew he should call Ichigo. The boy was probably worried about him.

After getting his bags from the car, he followed Hanatarō to an elevator, where they rode up approximately eleven floors. Stepping out when they opened, Grimmjow stared at the long hallway, floors lined with a striped beige carpet and walls painted a light tan colored. As they walked, he could see the maple colored doors with silver door handles and number plates off to the side. He frowned at how different it was from his once home of residences.

They stepped up to a door, the numbers 1174 and Hana produced a key from his pocket. "This will be your home from now on, Grimmjow-san." He handed him the keys and stepped to the side. The blue haired man looked down at the warm metal in his hands, thumping over the intricate grooves. He still couldn't believe this was happening. He slipped the key into the keyhole above the door handle and turned. He pushed down the knob and pushed open the door.

Stepping inside, he instantly realized that he would have to get new furniture. He quickly removed his shoes, a habit since he was a child and his feet moved as he stared at the large area. His leather couch looked gaudy and unattractive in such a room. The white and cream walls made the place feel homey, but the moment he stared at his furniture, he knew it would have to be changed. He could see Hana walking in behind him, but he ventured into a different part of the apartment. The door to the bedroom was open and he noticed that someone else's bed was in the place where his should be. Stepping into the room he looked at the large dark wood framed bed. Pillows set in an arrangement as if they were on display. He could see sheets that he knew for a fact he never owned, but now he wished he had, because they looked comfortable. He walked over and thumped the fabric at the end, savoring the fact that it was soft fur.

He noticed a folded note sitting on top and plucked it from the soft comforter. Unfolding it, he started to read:

_Hello, Grimmjow._

_I am delighted that you were willing to embark on this new journey. I am sure you have made many people happy, yourself included. This is an opportunity of a lifetime and you have set aside everything to take part in it. Most people wouldn't be able to do so and that kind of strength is what we always need for the San Francisco Symphony. You are a talented young man and I know that I didn't make the wrong decision when I chose you that night._

_As you have noticed upon reading this, your bed is missing. It was damaged in the trip from Japan. I took it upon myself to purchase you a new one as well as some much-needed necessities. Call it a home welcoming gift from your new boss. They are just basic tools that you will need, but feel free to look throughout your apartment at your own time. I am sure you are very exhausted and don't have much energy left._

_You will not start working until the end of the month. I have given you this time to get used to your new surroundings and find out what there is to offer in San Francisco. You do not need to worry about much. Hanatarō Yamada will be there to help you and cater to anything that you may need. He is originally from Japan, but has lived here for many years._

_I do hope that you will enjoy your new life here in America as well as your new career with the San Francisco Symphony. I look forward to seeing you soon._

_SFS Director_

_Kuchiki Byakuya_

Grimmjow glanced back down to the bed and wondered what else that stoic man had bought him. He sighed and threw the note onto the side table. He was too tired to think about it now. He padded back into the living room to see his assistant standing still at the door like a British guard.

"Hana, was there something else you needed?" The petite man blushed at the nickname, but shook his head. "You're allowed to leave then. If I need you I can call you, right?"

"Yes, sir. I left my card on the kitchen counter. Feel free to call me for anything." Grimmjow nodded and watched the shaky man leave, closing the door behind him. Grimmjow sighed as he walked over to grab his bags. He hauled them into his bedroom and let them fall to the carpeted floor. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone and the envelope Renji had given him.

He threw his phone onto the bed and set the envelope down on the side table before he started to undress. He would deal with getting situated tomorrow, or whenever his jet lag thoroughly went away. He ignored the idea of slipping into some pajamas to sleep in his boxers and started to pull down the covers. Slipping inside, he pulled the covers over him and reveled in the warmth and comfort that was given off from them. He reached for his phone, turning it on and watched as the screen started to light up. He knew he would have to get a new number soon. The thought of re-doing everything over just made him exhausted. He was going to be an American citizen and the thought of going through the procedures were tiring in itself.

His phone beeped and he looked down to see a text message. Pressing a few buttons, he reached his inbox and saw that it was from Ichigo. He smirked and pressed a button to read it.

_Call me when you get to America. I don't care how late it is. ~ Ichigo_

Chuckling, he scrolled through his phone book, too tired to even remember that Ichigo was on the speed dial and press the call button. Holding it to his ear, he listened to it ring. The monotone sound was calming and he found his eyes drooping closed.

"Grimmjow?"

"Morning, Ichigo," he said in a lethargic tone. Ichigo made a noise at the statement, knowing that it was evening in Japan.

"You made it safely. I was worried with the storm that was coming this way." Grimmjow enjoyed the sound of Ichigo's voice flowing through his ears. It was as if he was right there next to him.

"Yeah, safe and sound in my new bed."

"How is it out there?"

"Mmm, not really sure. I was too tired to really see anything. I'll look probably later on in the week."

"Want to get off the phone? You sound really tired." Grimmjow wanted to chuckle at the pout he could practically hear in Ichigo's voice. He knew this was going to be hard for the both of them, but he was sure they would be able to handle it.

"No, stay on until I fall asleep." Ichigo giggled and it relaxed Grimmjow's mind. He listened to the boy talk, adding in a few tidbits of his own, here and there. He told Ichigo about the photos that were given to him and he cackled with joy at hearing Ichigo yell at Renji. Ichigo talked about Yuzu wanting to send gifts his way because she was worried about his eating habits. Whatever the orange haired man wanted to talk about, he listened with as much enthusiasm as he could muster in his tired state. After a while, he could feel the jet lag starting to really set in.

Ichigo sat on the other line, listening to Grimmjow's deep breathing and knew the man was fast asleep. He smiled and continued to speak, even though he knew the man wouldn't respond. After a while he finally hung up the phone and left the man to his deep slumber.

* * *

**A Few Days Later**

Though Grimmjow was still feeling a bit haggard, he refused to stay in the bed. He wasn't the lazy type and even though he knew he should be sleeping, he wanted to look around. He and Hana had walked around the area and Grimmjow found out that there was a furniture store not to far away. He knew there was still the language barrier, but he would rectify that soon enough. He opted to just have his little assistant translate for him until he was able to speak proper English.

After buying himself some new couches that would fit in his new living room, he and Hanatarō headed back to the apartment where the car was parked. The dark haired man decided to show him where the symphony hall was at so that the blunet could get familiar to the distance.

Grimmjow was surprised at how close the place was, probably about five to ten minutes away. After showing him there, Hana wanted to show his boss where he spent most of his time, hoping that Grimmjow would enjoy the place as well. He knew how hard it was coming to a new place and he was thankful that Byakuya had showed him around when he first came to America. He had been working with the man for quite a while and was very lucky that the noble man spoke many languages, including Japanese.

Grimmjow sat in the backseat, gazing at the large buildings that reminded him so much of Tokyo. The sky was gloomy, showing that it would probably rain soon. He wouldn't complain though because he was the type that enjoyed rain, just as much as he enjoyed thunder and lighting. He watched the scenery change and noticed that increase in Kanji and Japanese culture.

Sitting up from his leaned back position, he gazed at the passing shops. "Where are we?"

"Japantown, sir." Grimmjow gazed at the various buildings, surprised that he would even see such a thing. He knew of Chinatowns in various parts of American cities, but to have a piece of home right there made him feel welcomed and content. "They hold a large variety of festivals throughout the year around here. There are also a lot of different shops, galleries, and spas, as well as a dojo. It's where I used to spend most of my time when I felt homesick."

It made him feel a little less nervous to be in a new place. He knew it would be hard for anyone who was moving to a new place, but if everyone could have a piece of home wherever they were, it would probably make the transition so much easier.

"Also sir, I'm not sure if it pertains to you, but San Francisco is neutral to the gay community." Grimmjow glanced out of the corner of his eye and looked in the rear view mirror to see a slight blush on his assistant's face.

"…Are ya gay, Hana?" The young man coughed, trying to clear his throat.

"Uh…y-yes sir. I am." The dark haired man glanced up to the mirror to see Grimmjow looking at him. "I-I'm sorry if you aren't into that, uh, s-sort of thing."

"No worries. …I have a lover back in Japan." The petite assistant seemed to relax at the news. "So, are you dating anyone?" Hana's face lit up again and Grimmjow found himself chuckling. He didn't know what is was about the blushing, but even with Ichigo it always made him want to laugh.

"Uh, ye-yes. He works at the dojo here in Japantown." Grimmjow's brow arched, wondering just what kind of man his little assistant was dating. He wasn't really one to pry, so he kept his thoughts to himself.

The rest of the day had been a relaxing one. He mostly shopped for things he needed at the apartment, as well as walk around part of the Japanese district. He had lunch with Hanatarō because he refused to have the man as an assistant without getting to know him. The dark haired man was going to be in his personal and private space, and he refused to let the man continue to be a stranger. It wasn't to hard getting used to him being around. He was quiet most of the time, but he wasn't really afraid to say what was on his mind.

Grimmjow did find out that the boy was clumsy every now and then. He did get picked on and bullied, but he still tried to live his life. Hanatarō had said his boyfriend mostly stood up for him and it gave him the strength to stand up for his own self. The blunet was actually surprised that the small man would even introduce him to his boyfriend.

Ganju Shiba was a interesting man. He was loud, kind of reminding Grimmjow of Renji. He was a big man and the blunet could see the reason why he worked at a dojo. It was surprising to see that Hana was dating such a man, but he guessed opposites did attract. Hana was a very small man with a calm and quiet personality, while Ganju was big, loud and brash. The blunet guessed they fit each other fairly well and the thought of them made him think about Ichigo.

He knew it had only been a few days, but he wondered how Ichigo was doing. They had been so used to seeing each other everyday for the last month that it felt awkward not seeing Ichigo at all. Lying alone in a bed and falling asleep on a pillow instead a soft mop of orange hair felt wrong in some way. He knew he couldn't deny that he missed Ichigo already, but he knew that he was doing this for a better life. He was out there to do something for himself and he knew that Ichigo was willing to give up as much as he was for his dream.

* * *

Grimmjow frowned, stepping into the symphony hall for the first time. He had nervous butterflies in his stomach and didn't know if he could do this. It wasn't the familiar feeling like he was playing at the lounge club. These were new people who he was sure didn't have any problem telling him how untalented he really was. He knew he was probably putting himself down, but he never thought he was good enough for the big leagues. He had doubt just like everyone else, even if he was considered some 'prodigy'.

"Grimmjow." The blunet looked over his shoulder at the sound of the deep voice. He noticed Byakuya walking down the aisle, clad in a pair of dark blue slacks and a light gray silk dress shirt. His footsteps were silent as he walked and his hands were loosely slipped into his pockets.

"Have you taken a look around the symphony hall?"

"Yeah, this place is huge," Grimmjow responded. It was indeed large. It seemed to house over a thousand guests. Lights shined from above and the taupe walls hid away as the sienna seats dominated the room. When Grimmjow gazed up he could see panels of glass on the ceiling above, looking as if they were floating. The lights reflected and made them sparkle as if they were made of diamonds.

The stage was made of solid wood and Grimmjow thought it gave an old world look to the rest of the modern hall. His inner mind was practically jumping with joy at the fact that he would be able to play there of all places.

"Are you ready to meet the some of the other musicians?" Grimmjow looked back over at the stoic man and nodded. "Their in the music room, practicing." The blunet followed behind Byakuya and walked down a corridor. They stepped into one of the rooms and Grimmjow saw a few other people sitting in seats with their instruments. The moment he stepped through that door, eyes assessed him. He was nothing like everyone else. He was much younger and his hair was various shades brighter. He was foreign among the American musicians.

He looked away and sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.

* * *

**One Month Later**

Grimmjow leaned against the railing of his balcony and gazed out at the San Francisco night sky. Life was rough, as he was trying to get used to everything there. Most of the musicians he was working with weren't as bad as he thought, but the language barrier had been a major bitch. The entire time he had been there in America, he pushed himself to learn as much English as possible. He knew the basics, but when it came to speaking proper enough, he found himself in a difficult situation.

He mostly kept to himself until he was able to speak the language properly. After that happened, it was hard to even fit in with the other people in the orchestra. There were a few that spoke to him every now and then, but most of the time, he just played the piano and left. He could feel the animosity rolling off of some of the people and wondered why there was so much hostility towards him. Was he not allowed the opportunity like everyone else?

He didn't feel welcomed, but he guessed he shouldn't care, just like he didn't care about it before. He never was a friendly or social person. He was surprised by how many friends he had already, but he guessed it was because his personality fit them so well.

He and Nnoitra clashed like crazy, but they were so much alike that they could get along with each other, even if it meant getting into a brawl every now and then. Ulquiorra was quiet and his dry humor was sometimes painful, but Grimmjow was totally opposite being loud and obnoxious and they balanced each other out. Starrk wasn't difficult to befriend. He was cool headed and he instantly got along with Grimmjow.

And then there was Ichigo. There were so many things he could say about the fiery man. No matter how many times he tried to deny it, it was a thing a fate for them to meet. He had always thought that he would be stuck with Luppi. If it wasn't for bumping into Ichigo, he would have never gotten into a fight with Luppi. He would have never met little Yuzu. He would have not been able to make it to work that night because of a certain painful migraine. And if he hadn't gone to work, he wouldn't have been able to see Ichigo again.

Grimmjow looked down at his fingers, flexing them. He missed Ichigo more than he thought he would. It was difficult going back to the lonely life. He knew he was never lonely before Ichigo, but with Luppi it had always seemed that way. It was hard to want to be in that relationship. It was stressful and Grimmjow felt like it was more of a chore than something he actually wanted. With Ichigo, it was always leisurely. Though he put time and feelings into it, he got something so much deeper out of it. He could relax around the orange haired man and it made his chest hurt at the thought of being away from that affection for so long.

Grimmjow sighed and continued to glance out. He looked over his shoulder when he heard his cell phone ringing. Casually making his way back into the apartment, he snatched up his phone from the coffee table. Walking back outside, he stared down at the blinking blue screen. It was as if the younger man knew what he was feeling. He smirked down at the communication device, pressing the green call button and holding it up to his ear.

"…Hey, Ichigo."


	12. Chapter 12

Ichigo smiled, listening to the orange haired woman giggling next to him. He had guessed right when he thought Inoue would enjoy going to sculpting class with him. She seemed to be having the time of her life and that made him happy. Throughout the time that Grimmjow had been gone, it had gotten lonely and he didn't want to be stuck in the house anymore. Renji had been working a few more hours a week saying that he would need a lot more money when summer came around. The man always took a vacation during that time and he liked to have a large amount of money when doing so.

Ichigo thought it was silly. The man really never did anything during his vacation. He just sat around playing video games and pigging out like the world depended on it. The only thing Ichigo even cared about when summer came was that Grimmjow would be home around that time. It had already been a month and the oranget was counting down the days until he could feel Grimmjow next to him again.

He scowled at his thoughts, thinking that he sounded like some girl. He knew he shouldn't care about such things. He was happy, far happier than he had ever been in a long time.

"Ichigo? What's with that look?" The man blushed, coughing into his shirtsleeve. He hadn't realized Orihime was looking his way. He tried to think of a good explanation, but failed to do so. "Were you thinking about Grimmj-"

"So, Inoue, how's your relationship with Ulquiorra?" Ichigo had to quickly change the subject before it started to get too detailed. Inoue's gray eyes went large and a blush rose across her face. Ichigo couldn't see it, but he could feel the embarrassment rolling off of her and he figured she was blushing. He smiled to himself, his hands still working against the clay.

"I-It's going fine. Uhm, Ulquiorra is sweet. He's a little quiet, but it's not bothersome at all. When he does talk, we have a lot of interesting conversations. I never thought he would be Grimmjow's best friend though." Ichigo chuckled. He had to agree, Ulquiorra and Grimmjow weren't exactly the type to seem like best friends. He guessed they balanced each other out, just like Inoue balanced the stoic man out.

"I-Ichigo. Uhm, can I ask you something?" The man nodded and he listened to the chatter of the other people in the studio room. She seemed to be nervous about whatever she wanted to ask.

"Uh, uhm, how do you know w-when the feeling is, uh, mutual between two people?" Ichigo gave her a lop-sided grin. He guessed she was still worried about catching feelings for someone who didn't feel the same for her. He wasn't really the right person to ask. He didn't know much about love. All he knew was that he was falling for Grimmjow, big time. He had yet to voice that to the man, but he didn't think he ever would. He didn't want to jeopardize what they already had. Their relationship was always a complicated one to him. He didn't want to see Grimmjow as nothing less than his partner, but they had such a good friendship that the man was considered really nothing more than a friend. Were they really "dating"? He wasn't sure. It had never been officially said between the two of them, so Ichigo really wasn't ever sure of their status.

If anyone asked him, he would say he was single, but what would Grimmjow say if someone asked him? It was so confusing to him and he found himself wondering what they really were. Could he say with confidence that Grimmjow loved him? No, he couldn't, but could he say the feeling of caring for each other was mutual? Or that they enjoyed each other's company was a mutual feeling? He could probably answer that with a confident answer that, yes, they both cared for each other and enjoyed to be around each other. Love was a matter on another level entirely. He knew he loved Grimmjow, but he didn't know in what way.

He sighed, a headache starting to form and making him a little dizzy. He hated when he thought about things too much.

"Uh…Inoue, to answer your question, I guess you just…know. You get a feeling when you know it's mutual. I'm not really the right person to ask this of. I'm really new to all of this as well."

Orihime watched Ichigo for a moment and realized that something was wrong. She could see the pain lines creasing across his forehead. "…How about we go get some lunch? It might make you feel better. Besides I'm starving!" Ichigo glanced over in the direction where Inoue's voice had been coming from. He smiled at her, knowing exactly what she was doing. He guessed some things were just instinct.

* * *

Lunch was calming, though Inoue wondered if Ichigo was in any pain. He had been furrowing his brows for a couple of minutes and she wondered if she should do something. She knew the man didn't like asking for help, so she didn't want to step over hr boundaries. She frowned and wondered what Grimmjow would do. He knew she was nothing like the tall man. She didn't have his strength and the ability to calm Ichigo down. She frowned and started biting at her nails.

She watched Ichigo reach into his bag and pull out a small container of pills. She had remembered them always being in a bottle and was surprised to see the change. Had Grimmjow been the one to suggest something easier for the man to be able to open? She pulled her fingers from her lips and gazed at him as he took the recommended dosage of pain pills. After a matter of minutes, lunch went smoothly again.

She had noticed this about Ichigo in the past month. The confidence he used to have before going blind. The knowledge of knowing he could do things on his own. It was as if nothing had ever happened to the man she once loved. She smiled, gazing down at her fingers. That was the reason she had fell for him in the first place, the will to be able to fight his own battles no matter the circumstances. She was happy to see the old Ichigo returning. She knew it had to be the sudden change in the man's lifestyle. The newfound friendship with Grimmjow and the compassion the man had for Ichigo. She could tell that they depended on each other in some way shape or form.

She was happy to see Ichigo smiling again and she would have to thank Grimmjow the next time she got a chance.

"…Inoue." She was jerked out of her thoughts by Ichigo's voice. She hummed at him in response. "Your cell phone is ringing."

"…Oh!" She quickly reached for her cell phone and Ichigo chuckled at her cheery voice. "Yes! Yes! Hello!" Her eyes went wide at the deep monotone voice on the opposite end. "Ulquiorra!" She listened to him speak and she could feel a blush slowly rise across her face. "No! I'm not doing any- I mean I'm having lunch with Ichigo right now. But we can meet up later, I mean if you like to. Or, uhm…" Oriihime's voice died in her throat when she felt Ichigo's hand upon hers. She looked up at him and he mouthed to her that she could go on and go.

"But, Ichigo…" The man shook his head and told her to go. She smiled at him and went back to her call with Ulquiorra. Ichigo smiled, pulling his hand away from hers. He gazed off to the side and waited for her to finish her call. "Ichigo, you really didn't have to-"

"It's fine. I was probably just going to head home anyway. I want to check up on Pantera." The orange haired woman mumbled a quiet okay. She slowly gathered her things and said her goodbyes to Ichigo. He listened as Orihime left and sat back in the booth. He had long been finished eating and he was just waiting for the waiter to come along.

After paying, he had one of the hostesses call him a cab. He was still having a hard time walking around by himself. He didn't enjoy the feeling of getting lost, so he had been taking cabs mostly everywhere that was farther than a few blocks. It was kind of the easy way out, but he was still gathering the courage to walk around by himself. He stepped out of the diner and made his way towards the curb, pulling out his walking stick. Standing there, he waited for the cap to make it to his destination.

He wondered what Orihime was going off to do with Ulquiorra. They had been spending quite a lot of time together and he wondered if it was starting to get serious between them. It was good that she finally had someone for her. He had been worried that she wouldn't find any happiness, but low and behold, it seemed someone was looking out for her. He smirked, looking up towards the sky. Life seemed to be getting back on track for everyone and it made him feel good about everything. He quickly looked down, hearing a ringing sound. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he pressed th call button and answered.

"Hey, Grimm."

* * *

It had been a long while since Grimmjow practically disappeared off of the face of the earth. Everywhere the petite man had searched, he had come up empty. No one would explain to him where Grimmjow was. His apartment was empty and his mail had been being forwarded to a new address, which Luppi wasn't able to figure out. Of course he had already knew that he was no longer working at his job and every time he went there to ask questions, he was ignored. All he wanted to know was where his boyfriend was. He needed to know. He needed to know why his blue haired lover had been all over some blind freak of nature. It didn't sit too well with him.

He then realized that if he couldn't find Grimmjow, then he would look for the abomination that his boyfriend had been hanging around with. Thus, he started doing some detective work. He had been using Loly's connections to find some kind of information on the man. It wasn't easy at first, only because Loly thought it was stupid and a waste of time, but after much convincing she had joined in on looking for information.

She had used her daddy, asking him to help look through the database of citizens in Japan. It wouldn't be that hard to find a blind orange haired man in the country. But oh how wrong they were. It had taken days and days to go through people, even if the guy had orange hair, so did a lot of other people. Orange wasn't really common, but when coupled with the large amount of people with red hair, it started getting difficult. After a few weeks of searching they had finally found him.

So there Luppi was following Ichigo's every move. He had found out enough information and figured to stalk to pitiful excuse around. He didn't feel bad that the boy had lost his parents to a tragic car accident or the fact that he had lost his eyesight to an explosion downtown, killing and injuring a large amount of people. No, all he cared about was that he needed to get rid of this man so that he could get Grimmjow back.

He had followed him to some diner and waited for the man to come out. He was lucky that the orange haired woman had left long before and that the orange haired man was alone. This person was getting in-between of what he wanted and he wouldn't just stand there and let it happen. He found his legs moving quicker than they should, getting closer to the target in front of him. He inconspicuously pulled a switchblade out from his pocket and held it to his side. He wanted to make sure it looked like an accident or some kind of health problem. He made his way closer, an angry maniacal glint in his lavender eyes. He gripped the handle of the blade and slightly pulled his arm back. When he was ready to strike, he watched as the boy pulled out his cell phone.

"Hey, Grimm." Luppi stopped in his tracks and gazed at the smiling boy. He listened to how this man spoke to his boyfriend, the love in the man's voice, the response and blushes. It was all making him want to puke. He wanted to die a little inside. He felt his hand start to shake, the grip on the handle making his fingers turn white. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Grimmjow was supposed to be with him. It wasn't fair. How could Grimmjow dump him for such a person? He was so perfect and compared to that blind orange haired freak, he had been the right choice.

He frowned, feeling the tears roll down his face. He watched the boy obliviously slip into a taxi, leaving him alone on the sidewalk. He slowly slid the knife back into his pocket and stiffly made his way down the sidewalk. He would just have to think of another plan.

* * *

Orihime didn't know how to react. She had never been a real date at such a fancy place. She stared down at the row of forks and wondered why there were so many. After separating with Ichigo, she had went home. The man had said he would pick her up in a couple of hours and she wondered what was going on. After Ulquiorra picked her up, he had taken her to some fancy dress shop. He started helping her pick out dresses and she wondered what it was all about. After picking out a short, but exquisite pastel green dress, they proceeded to dinner.

She had looked around to see that there was nothing by high-class people around. There was classical music coming from the piano set off in the corner and Orihime wondered why he had brought her here of all places. She glanced over to him and noticed his eyes gazing down at the menu. She had to admit that he did look handsome in a suit. His skin blended well with the white silk collared shirt and the pastel green waistcoat hide part of his patterned chartreuse tie.

"Uh, Ulquiorra." She watched as crystal green eyes gazed her way, his mouth pulled into a thin line like always. "Why are we here?"

"To eat." If only it was that simple to Inoue. "Are you not hungry?" The orange haired woman pouted, twirling her finger through an orange lock.

"Ye-yes, I'm hungry. It's just…this place is so fancy. I don't really…I mean, I've never been to such a nice place."

"There is a first for everything. Besides, tonight is special."

"S-special?" Inoue squeaked. Was it the man's birthday? It couldn't be, his birthday had long past. Was it her own? She frowned trying to remember when her own birthday was. No, no, her birthday wouldn't be for a few more months.

"Yes. It is our one month anniversary." Orihime's eyes went large and she gapped at the man in front of her. "Did you forget?" It wasn't that she forgot. It was the fact that Ulquiorra even thought that there was something so important between them that he would think being together for a month was sentimental. Her bottom lip started to tremble and her eyes started to become blurry.

"Orihime?" That seemed to make her more emotional. He had never called her by her name. She was always considered "woman" to him. "I apologize if I have made you sad." The orange haired woman shook her head and reached for the napkin sitting on the table. She dabbed at her eyes, hoping it would stop her from crying.

"N-no, I'm happy." The man's face showed a sign of emotion for the first time and Orihime could tell that he was confused about her statement. "I-I never thought that… you know, that you liked me so much."

"…You are such a silly woman." That seemed to make her smile and she chuckled quietly.

"I didn't get you anything."

"I do not need a gift. I have you." Inoue blushed as she gazed at Ulquiorra. "But, I have gotten you something. If you will have it." She nodded, wondering what else he could have possibly bought. There was the dress, the dinner that had yet to come and now something more. She watched as he pulled a small black box out of his suit jacket and set it down on the table. She slowly reached for it, gazing at the velvety curved black container. She was afraid to open it, in fear that it would be something too extravagant. Everything seemed to be going that way lately.

She sighed and opened the box, her slate gray eyes enlarging and her mouth dropping open. On a small black velvet pillow sat two aqua blue flower hair pins. They were encrusted with blue crystals and Orihime could see them sparkle in the light. They reminded her of the pins her brother had given her before he passed away. She had told Ulquiorra about them and how special they had been to her. She had lost them in high school and hadn't been able to replace them yet. She felt tears form in her eyes again and this time she couldn't stop them from falling. She felt a hand on her cheek and looked over to see the dark haired man sitting next to her. She couldn't even begin to describe how thankful she was. On impulse, she leaned over and pressed her lips against his. There were so many emotions welling up inside her that she did the only thing that she thought was right. Ulquiorra had been such an amazing person towards her and even when there were times that she probably annoyed him, he stood by her side.

She felt him press softly against her lips making it their first kiss, ever. Her cheeks started to redden and she slowly pulled away, gazing up into his green eyes.

"Th-thank you," she breathed. He smiled at her and for the first time since she had been around Ulquiorra, she realized that the feelings they had for each other were in fact mutual.

* * *

**One Month Later**

Ichigo smiled at the sounds going on in his kitchen. Yuzu trying to explain to Orihime that potatoes and kiwi didn't go together. He listened to Ulquiorra say that he thought it was a great combination and hoped that she would cook it for him. The sounds of video games being played in the living room between Karin and Renji sounded exciting. Even Rukia was there. She had long apologized to both he and Orihime and claimed that she was just upset that her best friend wasn't getting the man of her dreams. He was glad that everyone was happy now. It seemed that things were turning around for every one. Grimmjow was doing so well in San Francisco, getting amazing reviews from the local papers and magazines about musicians.

Ichigo was so happy for what Grimmjow was able to achieve. He had only been there for two months and he was already doing so well. Grimmjow talked about the language barrier, but he said it wasn't as bad as he thought it was. He had said he spent most of his time in Japantown and Ichigo even received a large amount of souvenirs from the blue haired man. Grimmjow was gaining friends, even if the man didn't sound too enthusiastic about it.

He sighed, sitting at the kitchen table. He was so happy for everyone. Orihime had found happiness in an interesting guy. Ulquiorra wasn't that bad. The more Ichigo hung around him, the more he could see the humor in the man. It was cruel and dry, but it was still completely funny.

Renji had gotten over the fact that Ichigo and Grimmjow were some kind of item. He knew that he would always be Ichigo's best friend and he chose to continue down that road. Of course he couldn't just turn off his romantic feelings for Ichigo, but he was able to tone it down to a decent level. He was happy to see Ichigo smiling. He was happy to see the man being more social, like he had been in high school.

The sounds of dishes and food sizzling filled the small apartment, accompanied with chatter and laughter. The sound of family and friends enjoying each other's company was something that had been missing from Ichigo's apartment. And all that was missing was a head full of soft blue hair. Ichigo frowned at the thought of Grimmjow not being around to enjoy this. The man was so far away, away from his friends, but Ichigo knew he was making a life for himself in America.

The noise seemed to die down when the house phone rung. People stared at it and it rang again. Yuzu ran over and looked down at the caller id. She smiled to herself, before telling everyone who it was. She glanced over seeing how perky it made Ichigo.

Pressing a few buttons, Yuzu indicated that she was putting the caller on speaker phone. Orihime giggled and Ichigo wondered what was going on.

A deep baritone voice filled the air and Ichigo's heart started to beat rapidly.

"Hey Grimmjow!" everyone shouted, making Ichigo jump slightly and glare at nothing particular. He listened to Orihime giggle louder before Yuzu handed him the phone.

"Hello," he said.

"…Uh…what was that about?" Ichigo seemed to melt at the sound of the man's voice, completely forgetting everything around him.

"They seem to be in a good mood," the oranget responded, listening as Grimmjow chuckled.

"Yeah…I can imagine. I'm in a good mood too."

"…Really? …What for?" Ichigo could feel eyes on him and realized that he probably should have went into the bedroom. People were always so nosy.

"Because I'm talking to you." Ichigo felt his face light up, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red.

"D-Don't be so mushy!" Ichigo exclaimed, making the man on the other line laugh.

"Did I make you blush?"

"N-n-no!"

Grimmjow continued to chuckle. "Liar," he breathed and Ichigo could feel something in him boil with desire.

Ichigo found himself smiling slightly, listening to the sounds around him continue, the loud chatter and sound of food, and beeping of video games in the distance.

"Bastard," he responded, his lips still upturned. Now everything was perfect.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a song selection in this chapter the you may want to listen to, but it is not required. All music I have chose for this fiction is based off of the feelings of the story.

_[Passage - Ludovico Einaudi]_

The sounds of the piano resonated out into the large and quiet auditorium. This was Grimmjow's second piano solo of the night and he was feeling refreshed. Playing day after day really wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. It relaxed him in a way that only playing the piano would. His limber fingers glided over the ebony and ivory keys as he listened to the music he was playing. He always enjoyed the way the grand piano sounded. It was a strong instrument and it produced such a beautiful melody. He hoped one day he would be able to afford one, just so it could sit in his living room and be played by him daily.

It had been a little over two months since he had been in San Francisco, but life was moving smoothly. He was getting settled into his new surroundings and America was almost as great is Japan. Of course America didn't have Ichigo and that was a major downfall, but he hoped in the future all that could change. He hoped he would be able to have Ichigo by his side throughout this journey, but he knew he would have to take things one step at a time. Everything wasn't as easy as it seemed. He knew Ichigo had his own life back home and with the handicap of not being able to see, Ichigo would struggle in a new place. But he hoped that one day it would happen.

He was glad that Ichigo was doing okay, though. He had worried about being away from the man, but it seemed that Ichigo was doing fine on his own. He had become more independent and Grimmjow was happy about that. He enjoyed hearing Ichigo talk about all the new things he had done, and the things that he used to do before he had lost his eyesight.

Grimmjow looked down at his hands, realizing that he had closed his eyes while he was playing. It had been a habit he was trying to break, knowing that Byakuya didn't want him slipping up on the songs throughout the symphony concert. He was so used to playing that way and it made him a lot less nervous than having his eyes wide open and gazing at the sheet music.

The song finally came to an end and the audience stood and clapped, giving Grimmjow and the rest of the orchestra their praise. Grimmjow sighed, standing and bowing before he made his way off of the stage, the other musicians doing the same. He had to get himself ready for the next part of the show.

* * *

Grimmjow mingled with a few people at a small get together that usually happened at the end of the week's concert. The blunet wasn't the friendly type, but he dealt with it, knowing that he should be social with these people. It was actually kind of nice sometimes, especially when people asked him about Japan or about his musical history. He wasn't really modest, knowing that he was very confident when it came to music.

He was surprised to see a few famous composers and musicians at the party, but Hana had said that quite a few musicians lived in San Francisco. He enjoyed talking to them, wanting to know about other countries like France and Germany. Though he was a half-blood, being Japanese and German, he didn't know much about his German side. His father wasn't around to give him that knowledge and he had never gone to look for any.

He sipped his champagne, standing at a window and looking out. He could see the city lights stretch on for miles. He enjoyed this, but he missed Ichigo. He couldn't wait until his vacation came. He would have one month. One month to spend with Ichigo and do whatever he pleased. He wanted to take the boy somewhere, anywhere, but he refused to be alone when that time came.

"Good evening," a thick accented womanly voice spoke. Grimmjow blinked and looked over his shoulder. He noticed a tall woman in a long, but revealing white dress. Her skin was brown and she had long blonde hair. He gazed into green eyes and wondered what a beautiful woman was doing there…alone. He turned his full attention towards her and nodded.

"Good evening." She smiled and sipped at her champagne.

"You were wonderful tonight. I've never heard such a young and handsome man play the piano so well." Grimmjow wanted to smirk, realizing that he was being hit on. It wasn't a rare thing. Ever since he had gotten acquainted to America, women seemed to flock to him wherever he went. He couldn't go shopping without females asking him out or wondering about his status. He knew he could just say he was gay, but he enjoyed keeping that to himself. Hana was really the only one that knew that he pitched for the same team. Besides he didn't want to shatter the women's dreams of a hunk like him being straight, so he just kept his preference to himself, just saying that he was already taken.

He chuckled and sipped at his own champagne. "Thanks. I've never seen such a beautiful woman as yourself all alone. No one to accompany you tonight?" Grimmjow had been practicing his ass off when it came to English. He was probably doing double the work to be able to sound as American as possible. It had been hard and of course he was still learning, but he was making great progress and it paid off. He was glad that there were a few musicians that spoke Japanese though. It sometimes gave him a break from speaking English and he knew he could never forget his native tongue.

"Sadly no, but that can change." Green eyes gazed him with want and desire and if Grimmjow was that kind of man he would jump at that invitation. Fortunately for him, he wasn't and he already had someone.

He sighed and gulped down the rest of his drink. "I apologize, but I am not the one for that task." He nodded towards her and slowly walked away. He frowned to himself, setting the champagne glass down on the table. He wondered how Ichigo was holding up.

* * *

Ichigo chuckle as he sat down on the large sheet. He ran his hand across the soft pleats of grass and enjoyed the sunshine. He was so glad that spring was almost over and summer was coming. He always enjoyed when it was sunny and hot. Even if he was sweating like a pig, he could care less. Summer had always been the greatest time of the year, even before his parents had died. He smiled and looked down. It was getting close to that moment and he wondered if he would be able to see them this year. The last time he had went to their grave was a little before his accident.

He wanted to tell them about everything that had been happening to him. About the accident, about his struggle with the way his life was now and about Grimmjow. He wanted the blunet to meet his parents and to let them know that he was no longer lonely. Though he missed them so, he had found someone to slowly feel the void in him. There would still be a small part missing where his parents would forever be, but he was getting better. Life was starting to get back to how it used to be. He was enjoying life as he should and he wasn't letting his blindness keep him away from that.

"Kurosaki." Ichigo looked up at the sound of the deep monotone voice. He listened to Ulquiorra's shuffled footsteps against the grass before he felt movement on the blanket.

"Good afternoon, Ulquiorra." The dark haired man sat across from the orange haired one and the enjoyed the silence before Ichigo wondered why his name had been called by the man.

"How are you doing, Kurosaki?" That was a weird question and Ichigo found himself making a noise of confusion. "I mean, with Grimmjow and everything. He's been away for quite some time."

"…Oh, I'm doing fine, I guess. He's having such a good time in America, so I can't really feel upset about him being away. ...I miss him, but that's normal." Ichigo listened to Ulquiorra hum in understanding before he heard Orihime's voice in the distance. "And what about you? How are you and Inoue doing? You guys spend a lot of time together."

There was silence and Ichigo wondered if Ulquiorra had heard him "…She is an interesting woman. I enjoy spending time with her." Ichigo smiled at the vague answer. Ulquiorra always seemed like a closed off person, never saying more than he needed to. Ichigo didn't mind, but it was hard having conversations with such a quiet man. He was glad Inoue had found someone like Ulquiorra to take care of her, though. He seemed like a stable person who would match the bubbly orange haired woman. Ichigo hadn't seen her that happy in a while and he hoped she would continue to stay that way. He sighed and enjoyed the sounds around him before he spoke.

"You're a good person for her. She seems very happy, so I hope you will continue doing whatever it is that you are doing." He listened to Ulquiorra, but the man didn't respond. He really wasn't asking for a response, he just felt he let the dark haired man know how he felt. He was glad that they were having a good relationship. He had worried about her finding the happiness that she deserved. Inoue was someone who he just didn't want to see sad or lonely. He had felt that way before and knew how hard it was. He had felt bad that he couldn't love her like she wanted him to, but now that she had Ulquiorra, he wouldn't have to worry any longer.

The rest of the day went on without a hitch and Ichigo enjoyed spending time with his sisters. They had been staying in the house way too much, so it was nice to be out in the hot sun. He wished he could play with them like he used to, but sadly his inability made it hard to do so. He listened to them, Karin's loud voice as she shouted rules and regulations like some referee. He listened to Yuzu whine about already knowing how to play and her scolding Karin. He could hear Rukia and Renji arguing about how to drink from a juice box and Orihime talk about her three-bean casserole made with oranges fish and sour cream.

He sighed and rose from the blanket, his walking stick in hand. He unfolded it and lowered it to the soft ground. He started walking, listening as the familiar voices started to become quieter and until he could hear nothing but birds chirping and the warm breeze flowing next to his ear. His stick hit something hard and he realized that he must be on the park path. He strolled for a bit, thinking of how it would be when Grimmjow came back home. There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to share with Grimmjow, but he knew the moment he felt the blunet near, he would lock him away, only to smother him with love.

Every time he thought about Grimmjow being away, he just wanted him to hurry and come back. This was how their relationship was going to be like in the future now that Grimmjow was living in America. Ichigo would only be able to spend time with him every three months. It made his heartache, wanting nothing more than to spend every waking and sleeping moment next to Grimmjow when he came home. It would be his only time and he hoped Grimmjow didn't mind that. He hoped the blunet didn't get tired of him before he could have his fill of the deep sultry voice, the smooth large hands, the soft thin lips and the strong body.

Ichigo blushed at where his thoughts were going. It had been almost three months since he and Grimmjow had been intimate for the first time and he could feel himself yearning to have him again. It had felt extraordinary, the feeling of Grimmjow inside him, the feeling of the man's hands touching him and the lips and tongue roaming his body. To be that close, connected with Grimmjow on a higher level made him feel alive and cherished in a way he could have never imagined. He had always thought sex was about the immense pleasure or even about power, but it was that and so much more.

He had felt like his body would burn up with unimaginable bliss, that he could see the brightest light in the world. He had felt so much power inside him, as if he could move mountains. There had been the feeling that he could understand what Grimmjow was thinking even if he couldn't look into his eyes. He had felt it with every touch, with every breath. It was something that he wanted to experience time and time again.

It was more than having sex or making love, he felt like he was sharing his deepest parts with the blue haired man and that made him feel like they had a connection somehow. It was hard to explain, but he just felt as if Grimmjow and he shared a lot of things that didn't even need to be said.

He chuckled. Maybe he had been spending too much time with Orihime and her monologues about what she wants her love life to be like.

"Big brother! …Ichigo!" The oranget stopped when he heard Yuzu's voice from behind him. He turned around and he felt her come up to him and wrap her arms around his waist. "Ichigo! We were looking for you. You've been gone for a while."

"Sorry, Yuzu, just wanted some time to think."

"Were you thinking about big brother Grimmjow?" Ichigo chuckled at the fact that Yuzu had started to consider Grimmjow part of their family.

"Yeah…I was."

"I miss him too," she said as they started walking back towards the picnic area, hand in hand. "I can't wait until he gets back home. I learned this new recipe that I want to teach him!"

Ichigo smiled as he looked up into the sky. "I can't wait either, Yuzu."

* * *

Luppi sat on the bench, pretending to read the newspaper that was in his hands. Loly sighed as she texted on her cell phone. "This is boring," she mumbled. "They aren't even doing anything."

"I know that!" Luppi hissed, peeking above the newspaper. "You are supposed to be telling me how to get rid of him!"

"Tch, he's blind. It shouldn't be that hard. …And why do you care anyway? You haven't seen Grimmjow in months. What makes you think you will see him now?"

Luppi sighed and lowered the newpaper. "Sometimes I wonder about you, Loly. You are denser than a brick." The woman glared at him, her pink eyes blazing with detest. "If something happens to Grimmjow's "precious" friend-"

"Boyfriend," Loly slipped in, making Luppi glare at her.

" _Boyfriend_ …then he will come to his aid and that's when I strike and get my Grimm Kitty back."

"…But won't he get mad if he found out you were the one that hurt the boy?"

Luppi just snorted, waving his hand about before stopping and gazing down at his nails. "Details, details. He'll be so upset that he will need someone to comfort him. Which will be me!" The petite man dropped his hand and sighed. "So…you have to give me some ideas gruesome enough to injure…maybe kill him."

Loly frowned, setting her cell phone down. "I don't know about this. I don't want to be blamed for killing someone."

"You won't be blamed. You are just helping me with ideas, besides no one will know it was me anyway. I'll make sure of that."

Loly gazed at Ichigo and all his friends. The boy didn't need to be in the middle of all of this, but she didn't want to hurt her best friend's feelings. She wished Luppi would just get over Grimmjow. She glanced over to see the petite man gazing her way. She did quite enjoy torturing people though. She smiled before talking to Luppi about ways to morbidly injure someone. As long as she wasn't blamed, she figured it would be okay.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some difference of languages in this chapter so I have separated them as such.
> 
> (" **English Speaking** ")
> 
> "Normal/Japanese Speaking"

Grimmjow groaned, slowly blinking his sapphire eyes open. He gazed out in front of him, seeing the clear blue San Francisco sky. He lay there, enjoying the sweet quiet time that had been so hard to catch lately. The last three months had been hard, what with all the parties, get-togethers, musician lunches, practices, concerts and interviews with local magazines. Finally all of that was finished. It was finally time for his long awaited one month vacation and it was finally time for him to go back home.

He smirked to himself, stretching his legs under the white cotton sheets and striped comforter. Even if it didn't show on his face, he was far more excited than anyone could even imagine. The thought of dealing with San Francisco traffic did nothing to put a damper on his smile. The thought of getting on a plane for twelve hours did nothing to damage his excitement. He was happy. He was so happy to finally be able to see Ichigo. He sighed and leaned back against his pillow, throwing his arm over his eyes. He groaned at the sudden feel of being out of character. The thought of seeing, being around or even holding Ichigo made something in him explode. He knew when he got there he would kidnap the boy from everyone, or at least try.

He had so many things planned for him and Ichigo when he got back. He didn't know what was coming over him, but he wanted his time with Ichigo to be special. A month wasn't much time and he needed to cherish it for as long as he could. He hated the fact that it was only going to be thirty days, but he knew he had to get back to his musician life. He knew he would have to leave Ichigo behind again and he and Ichigo both understood that. So they would have to enjoy the time they would have together.

He groaned at the thought of having to pack. He was leaving later on that afternoon and he hadn't done any packing. It was still quite early in the morning so he really wasn't worried, but he knew if he didn't start he would miss something valuable. He sighed and slowly threw the covers off of him. Sliding his legs out of the bed, he stood onto the soft plush carpet of his bedroom. He wiggled his toes, enjoying how the shag carpet slid across them. He had never had such soft carpet, even in his old apartment. The basic, ugly burgundy matting that had been on the floor wasn't as soft as the heather gray, uneven wooly carpet he had now. It reminded him how much his life had been changing.

Padding out of the room, he headed straight into the kitchen. He tried to ignore the baskets of presents from all sort of people sitting on his kitchen counter. Hana knew how much he hated them, but he guessed he couldn't really be mad at the little guy. He was mad that people who thought he needed those kinds of gifts. He just saw them as bribes and brown nosing packages. And the ones from women? Those were just annoying. He didn't need people to buy him anything and if they wanted to congratulate him, words were more than enough.

He reached his arm up and opened one of his cabinets, pulling out the container of coffee that Yuzu had sent him. The girl had been sending him all sorts of things, hoping that he would stay healthy with them. There had been everything from food and recipes to soap and even little knick knacks. The girl was becoming his little mother. He chuckled as he started to work the coffee maker. Yuzu was an amazing young woman and he knew she would make some lucky guy proud.

After he was finished, he let the coffee pot do its job while he did his own. He headed for his master bathroom and took care of his morning hygienic necessities. It was going to be a long day and he wanted to make sure he was smelling good and looking fine.

* * *

Ichigo was trying his hardest not to bounce off of the walls as he sat in the kitchen. The air around him radiated so much happiness that Renji thought he was going to pass out from it. Yuzu was smiling as well, which meant that the happiness was contagious and he should probably run away before he became just like them.

"You two are making my teeth rot." Ichigo scowled at Renji's voice, but nothing could make him angry that day. Grimmjow was coming home and he was far too excited.

"You're just jealous. Anyway, don't be like that. I thought you and Grimmjow were on good terms."

"We were never, and I mean NEVER on good terms. Just because I stopped giving him a hard time doesn't mean that I like him or enjoy his company. I still hate his guts."

"Renji, why are you so hung up on Grimmjow? He hasn't done anything wrong to you, other then kick your ass and that was mostly your fault." Renji's tattooed brows furrowed and he could think a million reasons why he hated Grimmjow. Only one reason mattered though and that was the fact that the blue haired man had stolen Ichigo from him. He frowned, leaning his chin onto his fist. He couldn't tell Ichigo that. He feared telling the man his feelings even now, especially after he spouted that "Ichigo is Grimmjow's woman" nonsense. He knew he could never take back that statement and every time he thought about his feelings for the orange haired man, he realized that he would probably be the one that treated Ichigo like the woman. He was already so over protective of him and he knew if it became a mutual love thing that feel of wanting to protect him would skyrocket.

He closed his eyes. He was starting to depress himself. "Look, it doesn't matter what I think, right? You like him and that's all that matters. Even though I have to deal with him when he comes around, it's not as much as I thought it would be." Renji rose from table. "Besides, it's only for a month at a time."

Ichigo frowned as he remembered that Grimmjow would only be home for a month. It made the time that much more precious and he wondered if he should make plans for anything special. He was never good at the kind of thing and he didn't know too many fancy places. He was so bad at romance. He hoped Grimmjow would just want him just the same as he did before he left. Now that the man had been in America so long, he wondered how Grimmjow would act. He hoped the man didn't change much.

"Ichigo? Your brows are creasing." The oranget looked over towards his sister and smiled, softening his expression.

"Sorry Yuzu, just thinking again. Have you figured out what you are going to cook for when Grimmjow gets here?"

"No! I still need to figure that out. Uhm, will you go to the store with me, Ichigo?" He nodded and Yuzu beamed with joy. He still enjoyed spending time with his sisters and he knew when Grimmjow came home, all his time would be preoccupied by that man.

* * *

Grimmjow was feeling antsy, waiting for his departure time. He wasn't a patient man and waiting annoyed him to no end. He sighed and leaned his head back. He listened to the sounds going on around him and he couldn't be happier that he was going back to Japan. He wanted to enjoy the sounds of his language going on around him, smell the aroma of his native dishes instead of fast food and Italian food. He wanted to bury his face in soft orange locks and wrap his arms around a tall but lithe body. He wanted to see Yuzu and taste her amazing cooking.

Though he adored his music, home was where his heart was and he couldn't think of any better place to be. He thought about seeing Ulquiorra and Nnoitra, but knowing them they wouldn't be happy to see him, especially Nnoitra. The man's mind revolved around nothing but his blond boyfriend and Ulquiorra seemed like he wouldn't want to hang out with him. He guessed he didn't really mind. He was probably spending time with Orihime.

He smirked to himself, realizing that they all had someone. Even Starrk who seemed to be a loner had someone. It was funny since they had always said they would be bachelors when they were younger. They hadn't ever cared about long-term relationships, wanting only to date and have fun. But look at them now, all in serious relationships, thinking about love and mushy shit like that. It didn't seem to bother them though, but they had grown up enough to realize they couldn't always be alone. Life was never meant to go through alone, whether it be with family, friends or lovers. He no longer had family so his friends were the next best thing.

He still wasn't sure if he considered Ichigo his lover or not. Things between them were still complicated and though he liked Ichigo, he still didn't know about the oranget's true feelings. It was hard to say love, but he knew they had some kind of connection. He knew they cherished each other in a way that lovers would, but he still wouldn't know if that's what they had.

 _"Flight 1254 to Karakura, Japan is now boarding. A Class, flight 1254 to Karakura, Japan is now boarding."_  Grimmjow sighed and looked down at his ticket. Rising from the chair, he stretched. It was time to go home.

* * *

Luppi frowned, gazing down at the photos that laid across his coffee table. He was glad that he had hired a private investigator instead of doing all this work himself. He would have never been able to follow the orange haired man himself. He reached for one of the photos, staring at the black and white image of Ichigo and one of his sisters walking side by side, groceries in hand. When Luppi had talked to the investigator, he had said that the little girl was planning a welcome home dinner and the petite man wondered who it was for. He had been searching high and low for Grimmjow and after months, he had found out that the man was no longer living in Japan.

That made Luppi far angrier than he had been before. Grimmjow had left him behind completely, kicked him to the curb and just jet set to some unknown place. He had put two and two together and figured out that Grimmjow was probably coming back home and he hoped he could get a chance to see him.

Loly had yet to find a good plan in getting rid of the orange haired man, but Luppi knew whatever the woman came up with, it would be simple yet spectacular. So he would let the boy live for now, and he would let him enjoy his life for as long as he could.

And when the time came, he would take back his boyfriend. He would do everything different in hopes of keeping Grimmjow by his side. It seemed simple, but he knew he would have to do a lot of planning for when the time came to take back what was his.

* * *

Sapphire eyes watched the dull blue sky as he sat in the back of the cab. Though the sun was high, showers were scattered over the area. He was finally home and on his way to Ichigo's apartment. The flight had been smooth and though it was a long, he didn't get a wink of sleep. He had been too excited about going home. He knew he would probably pass out in a few hours, but he didn't care about that at the moment. All he cared about was getting out of the cab and into the cooling air of Ichigo's home. It was only 7:15AM and it was already humid. He watched the surroundings change before he recognized the oranget's neighborhood. The normal-sized apartment in the quaint little community was a nice difference from his high-rise apartment in the middle of the city.

Pulling up to the familiar place, Grimmjow handed the driver money and stepped out of the vehicle, grabbing his bags as well. He threw one of his duffle bags over his shoulder and stood at the mouth of the courtyard that led to his second home. He made his way up the stone pathway, casually taking his time. It was still very early in the morning and Ichigo probably wasn't even up.

He smiled and waved at the older man that was in his small front yard. He was surprised to see the man up so early. Whenever he had went out with Ichigo, he would see the older man tending to his small garden, his wife always sitting in her chair knitting or peeling some kind of food. They were an odd couple, but Grimmjow enjoyed seeing them. He made his way up the stairs to the second floor and down the open hallway until he made it to the apartment. He wondered if he should knock. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the set of keys to the home. He could just walk in and it would be like any other time he had been there.

He smiled to himself and slipped the key into the lock, turning it and then twisting the knob. He pushed open the door and stepped into the homey apartment looking just as it did three months ago. The hardwood floor was still a nice shade of deep brown and the walls were cream in color. The sofas still looked just as comfortable and the kitchen looked like it was being taken good care of. He slowly closed the door behind him, locking it and he slipped off his shoes. He ignored everything, knowing that there was only place he needed to go.

He made a beeline straight to Ichigo's room and quietly slipped inside, closing the door behind him. He leaned against it and gazed down at the man he had been longing to see. The spiky orange hair was the only thing he could see and Pantera looked up when he dropped his bags to the carpeted floor. He slid his jacket off and threw it on the edge of the bed before he started to undress himself. He just couldn't help himself. He felt like he was back at home and his routine started to take effect. Down to his boxers, he made his way closer to the bed, slipping into it and scooting closer to Ichigo. He reached his hand down and ran his fingers through the soft apricot locks.

Ichigo sighed, feeling the long smooth fingers run through his hair. It reminded him so much of Grimmjow and he pushed closer to the feeling. He heard a deep baritone chuckle and his eyes instantly shot open and he blindly gazed out in front of him.

"…Gr-Grimmjow."

" _Tadaima…_ " Ichigo smiled and leaned over. He slowly let his hands ghost over Grimmjow's bare skin until he felt the man's neck. He quickly wrapped his arms around it and pulled the blunet closer to him.

" _Okaerinasai_ ," Ichigo responded before sliding his lips against the blunet's. He felt himself being pushed down against the bed and he pulled Grimmjow closer, wrapping his legs around the man's waist. Ichigo moaned as he felt Grimmjow's tongue slide into his mouth and couldn't believe it was finally the day. He let his hands run through the course but chaotic hair, not caring about what happened to the man's styled locks. Grimmjow was home and that was all that matter.

Grimmjow started to pull away and Ichigo gasped when he felt needy lips on his neck. "You don't know how much I've missed you," Grimmjow mumbled against the soft skin. All Ichigo could do was whine when he felt lips suck at his skin. It was making him hot and he needed Grimmjow to stop before they started something both of them couldn't finish.

"Grimm…gotta' stop." The blunet slowly pulled away and looked down into hooded white eyes. He could see the lithe chest rapidly rising and falling and he smirked.

"Getting' turned on there?" Ichigo scowled up at the man before looking away, making Grimmjow chuckle. He slid off of the oranget and lay next to him, watching the man turn towards him.

"How was your flight?" Grimmjow grunted and Ichigo smiled. He guessed the blunet didn't really want to talk about anything. "Wanna sleep?" Grimmjow grunted again and Ichigo felt arms wrap tighter around his body, pulling him closer. He buried his face into the broad chest and sighed. He was so glad that Grimmjow was home.

* * *

Grimmjow groaned and turned over before reaching out. He frowned when he couldn't feel the warmth of Ichigo. He slowly blinked his eyes open and stared out, noticing the dresser standing against the wall.

"Mmm, ( **…What time is it?"** ) He frowned to himself for slipping back into English and cleared his throat. He raised himself up and ran a hand through his hair. Pulling himself out of bed, he made his way over to his bags and started rummaging through one of them to find some decent clothing. He threw on a pair of longue pants and a t-shirt before making his way out of the room. He passed by the wall clock and noticed that it was pretty late in the afternoon. He could hear conversing going on and could smell the aroma of cooking.

Rounding the corner, he froze, gazing at the many people in the kitchen. He watched Yuzu and Orihime walk over to the table with containers of food, held in the mitten-clad hands. They set them down on the almost already full table. Ulquiorra was sitting across from Ichigo, chatting away as if he and Ichigo were the best of friends. Renji lounged on the opposite side and Rukia sat next to him. He wondered what was going on and gradually made his way over.

"Ah, the lazy one is finally up." Grimmjow glared over towards Renji to see him smirking. He really needed to kick that man's ass again.

"Would you hush, Renji? He has been working hard for the last three months, not to mention he flew clear across the world. He can sleep for how ever long he wants." The blunet smirked, hearing Ichigo scold Renji and chuckled when the man mumbled a string of curses.

"Grimmjow!" The blunet was caught off guard when a small, young woman with brown hair launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist. When he got his bearings back, he smiled down and ruffled her hair.

"Hey, Yuzu. How are you?" She lifted her head, a big smile on her face and brown eyes glistened with joy as they looked at him.

"I'm fine! Did you like the gifts I sent you?" He smirked down at the girl, pulling her along as he walked towards the table.

"They were perfect. I use them all the time, especially the coffee." Yuzu beamed up at Grimmjow and he couldn't help but continued to smile at her. He looked up at the table overflowing with food. "Now what is all this? You didn't have to cook so much. Most of these people should go home and cook for themselves."

"But…it's your welcome home feast. Don't you want it?" Grimmjow frowned and looked back down towards the young woman. He sighed and looked back up.

"Of course…I always want to eat what you cook." He enjoyed Yuzu's cooking like his own mother's, but he hadn't come home to see everyone. He had come home just for Ichigo and it seemed like his time would be preoccupied some other way.

* * *

Ichigo frowned as he listened to sounds around him. It had been a two weeks since Grimmjow had been home and he should be the most happiest man on the planet. But he wasn't. Since Grimmjow had come home, Ichigo hadn't had any alone time with him. Of course there was in the bed, but they both were too exhausted after whatever was going on throughout the day to spend it enjoying each other. He wondered why everyone was hogging Grimmjow. Yuzu and Karin were his sisters, but even he was peeved about them pulling the blunet away from him. Orihime and Ulquiorra had pulled the taller man away to ask about America and his newfound life there. And even Renji was trying to act like he didn't really care about Grimmjow even when he asked about the people in America. Everyone was having alone time with Grimmjow instead of him and it was driving him crazy.

He didn't want to be rude, but he didn't know how much more he could take. He had waited three months for the blunet to be back and he had expected to spend every moment alone with him.

He sighed as he walked down the sidewalk with everyone else. Grimmjow was walking up front with Yuzu and Karin, while he walked next to Orihime and Ulquiorra. He sighed again and Inoue glanced over to him.

"Ichigo…are you okay?" The man frowned, not wanting to speak about how he was feeling. He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings and he just wanted everyone to stay as happy as they were now.

"N-no, I'm okay." Inoue frowned and looked up into Ulquiorra's eyes. They seemed to have a conversation amongst themselves before Ichigo heard the dark haired man's voice.

"…If you are upset that everyone is taking up your time with Grimmjow, you should say so, Kurosaki." Ichigo's eyes widened and he could feel his cheeks redden.

"Big brother! I didn't even realize!" Grimmjow frowned as he looked over his shoulder towards Ichigo. He had been feeling the same way, but he could never hurt a child's feelings. Yuzu and Karin seemed to be enjoying themselves with him around and he knew he would be there for quite some time, so he didn't worry too much about it. He wondered where his plans of spending all his time with Ichigo had went. Of course he still wanted to have his alone time with the orange haired male, but he felt it should wait until last. Though Ichigo was first in his heart, you always saved the best for last.

"Why don't you guys get going? Ichigo and I have got some plans." The oranget looked up, gazing into the area where Grimmjow's voice had come from. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He just wanted some alone time with Grimmjow. "…Why didn't you say anything, Ichigo?"

"I-I…I didn't want to sound selfish. Everyone was happy that you were home, I didn't want to ruin that." Grimmjow sighed and ran a hand through his hair before walking up closer to Ichigo. He slid his hand against the side of the man's neck before letting his finger ghost over the nape of it.

He lowered his lips towards Ichigo's face and let his breathe ghost over the man's ear. "You have every right to be selfish. I am yours and don't you ever forget that." He pulled back and stared into Ichigo's white eyes. He watched Ichigo nod before he smirked. "Now how about we go get something to eat?"

* * *

Ichigo could feel the soft fingers wrapped around his and he couldn't help but smile. He could feel the grainy sand between his feet and he instantly knew he was at the beach. The aroma of seawater was strong, but it smelled romantic to him. After eating at some outdoors restaurant, Grimmjow proceeded to lead him to the beach. The cooling breeze felt nice and he could feel it wafting through his short locks.

It was quiet, neither one of them speaking yet, but Ichigo enjoyed just being near Grimmjow. He enjoyed the touch of him and the smell of him. He enjoyed the body heat that he could feel walking next to him.

"…What does it look like?" he found himself asking. He had been to the beach before, but it had been such a long time and he wondered if the night sky was different.

"Hmmm, well," Grimmjow started, looking up at the sky. "The moon is a bright white, the same color as your eyes. It can't see much, but it's still lights the way for many. The stars are almost as bright, but nothing compares to that full moon. The sky is dark and blue and it goes on forever. The sea is strong and I'm sure you can hear it crashing against the shore."

Grimmjow led Ichigo closer to the sea until they were standing where the tide came in. Ichigo listened to the water as it crashed against the beach and he could feel the cool liquid rushing over his feet and ankles. He smiled to himself, enjoying his time with Grimmjow. "Can we sit?" He was lead a little ways from the water and he felt himself being helped to the sand. He squeezed the grains between his toes before he heard Grimmjow's voice saying something to him. He nodded to the question and listened as the man's footsteps disappeared.

This is what he had been waiting for. He wanted to spend some alone time with the blunet. He never thought it would be so romantic, but he could care less what they did. He knew it was difficult for them to do much with his blindness, and he hoped that one day they could participate in more vigorous activities. He wanted to walk without having to be led by a hand or a stick. He wanted to run again without having to worry about bumping into something. He wanted to ride bikes and join in playing with his sisters.

He frowned and looked down towards the sand. He wanted to be able to fully enjoy spending time with Grimmjow, hearing, touching and seeing him. He reached his hand up and let his fingers slid across his eyelid. He missed his eyes almost as much as he missed his parents. They had been a big part of him and he didn't feel the same without them.

He looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind him. "…Whew! Sorry it took me so long." Ichigo just smiled, feeling Grimmjow slid up behind him and sit down.

"Where'd you go?"

"Got us something to snack on." Ichigo felt arms wrap around him and he leaned back into the strong chest. He sighed, hearing Grimmjow's heartbeat and he wondered if they ever had to leave. "Here." Ichigo felt brawny arms slide against his sleeveless arm and he felt the coldness of something in front of him. The smell of mint and chocolate wafted past his nose and he leaned over, letting his lips push against the coldness. His pink appendage slid up the side and his taste buds giggled at the delicious and cool ice cream.

Grimmjow chuckled as he gazed down at the pouty lips covered in white cream. He leaned over and pressed his lips against Ichigo's, licking each one until they were clean of the sweet treat. He licked his own lips before capturing Ichigo's into a kiss, the ice cream completely forgotten. Hands slide across his cheek and Grimmjow moaned as he slinked his tongued into Ichigo's hot mouth. Tongues danced and Ichigo could feel himself pushing closer to Grimmjow. He turned his body around fully and wrapped his hands around the man's neck. He could feel the man's tongue exploring ever dip and crevice. The blunet was such a good kisser and Ichigo felt like he would pass out from the sheer experience. A hand slid up his sleeveless shirt and Ichigo moaned, feeling the mixture of cool breeze and hot fingers.

All of a sudden he gasped, his back arching at the feeling of freezing cold ghosting up and down his back. He could feel the goose bumps forming, but it made his body quiver with something unknown.

The ice cream was dropped and Ichigo felt his top being pulled up and over him. Hot lips descended his body and his nipple was engulfed in wetness. He arched into it, feeling teeth nibble and suck at the nub. He moaned, burying his face into blue locks and ground down against Grimmjow.

"Gr-Grimm, may-maybe we should mmm-go…home. We're out in the ah-open."

( **"I don't think I can wait."** ) Ichigo pulled away when he heard Grimmjow speak in English. He shivered at the words, not knowing what the blunet was saying.

"Wh-wha?" Grimmjow looked up at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes and smirk pulled at his lips.

( **"I wanna fuck you right here, right now. I want everyone to hear you scream my name."** )

"Grimmjow, speak so I can understand you," Ichigo moaned. The blunet just chuckled and he slid his tongue against the man's neck.

"I said I don't want to wait. I want to fuck you now."

"But…"

"Ya' know, if we go home, I won't be able to fuck you as good." Ichigo's face lit up as he started to sputter and Grimmjow's smirk widened. He loved teasing Ichigo, the man's reactions where just too good to pass up.

"Wh-what about a hotel?" Grimmjow hummed, gazing into unseeing eyes. He guessed a hotel would work. It wasn't as romantic, but he knew Ichigo felt a little vulnerable out in the open without being able to see anything.

"Okay…sounds good, but once we get there, you're mine for as long as I want." Ichigo gulped, gazing in front of him. He wondered what he just got himself into.


	15. Chapter 15

Ichigo's back arched as he leaned up against the glass door, his body making a print against it. The cold water spilling from above wasn't enough to extinguish the fire inside him, spreading rapidly. He could feel his hands running through damp cerulean locks and his toes curled against the acrylic floor. Hot lips were everywhere and Ichigo didn't know what they could possibly be searching for. His body cried out for more skin to skin, for Grimmjow to mesh with him until they were one in the same. Head thrown back, Ichigo cried out when his nipple was engulfed into a wet cavern and teeth gnawed at the sensitive nub. His cock was dripping, not just from the water inside the tub, but from the juices flowing out from inside him. He couldn't contain his excitement or desire and he wanted Grimmjow just to hurry up and fuck him.

He pulled Grimmjow's face upwards, not feeling any resistance from the man and hurriedly captured his lips. Brawny arms wrapped around his waist and he quickly slid his thigh up to cling to the man. He could feel Grimmjow's own want rubbing against his abdomen. The feel of hot skin and twitching flesh rubbed against his own. His mind was only on the pleasure of the moment and wanting nothing more than to feel it rise and explode inside him.

"Hold on tight," Ichigo heard Grimmjow murmur against his lips. All he could do was nod, his voice lost in his throat somewhere. The water was quickly shut off and Ichigo could feel the blunet moving steadily. Wet feet slapped against the tiled floor and Ichigo could feel the coldness surrounding him, goose bumps forming on his hot skin. He whined, feeling his cock rub against Grimmjow's with every step and he buried his face in the man's neck, sucking on the area. "Almost there."

Ichigo was slowly laid onto the bed and he felt the larger man hovering over him. The feel of the hot body was making him sweat, coupled with the thought of what was about to happen. He leaned up, lifting his hand to reach out. Wet fingers felt for the blunet's lips and Ichigo leaned up to capture them. The wet appendage ran across Grimmjow's lips and it slid inside to twine with the other. Grimmjow moaned as he ran his hands up Ichigo's slides, leaving hot trails of fire behind. Soft hands grazed over pert nipples, rolling them between his fingertips.

Grimmjow felt himself being slowly turned over before lips pulled away and started to slowly descend down his face. He let Ichigo explore him, wanting the man to know him just as much as he knew.

Ichigo softly pressed his lips against Grimmjow's chin, raining kisses down the defined neck and over the Adam's apple. He listened to the deep breathing, wanting to know where the blunet's every hot spot was. He wanted to know what made the man squirm and turn into jelly. It wasn't fair that Grimmjow could play him like a piano and he had to blindly feel the music. Ichigo wanted to feel like he was on the same level as the blunet. He hated thinking that he wasn't satisfying Grimmjow the way Grimmjow satisfied him. Fingertips ghosted against the outlines of the man's muscles. Fingers circled around nipples and across hard planes before they trailed across the contours of the man's six-pack. He could feel the wetness of water still stuck to the hot skin and he smeared it under his fingers, loving the sound of Grimmjow's deep baritone groan. Lowering his mouth, he let his tongue lick across the hot flesh, taking in the water drop by drop as he descended towards the man's navel. He let his tongue dip into it and moaned at the act.

He couldn't believe Grimmjow was letting him take his time and it made him want the blunet that much more. His fingers slowly ran through soft curls and Ichigo knew he was getting close to the hottest part of Grimmjow. He felt the phallus, dripping wet and he let his fingers slowly slide up. He could smell the man's strong scent and he found himself sticking his tongue out to taste the blunet. Grimmjow moaned and Ichigo guessed he was doing something right.

His mind was dazed, but he knew that he didn't want to stop. His fingers wrapped around the base of the cock and he pressed his lips against the underside. His hot tongue lapped at the hard-on, wrapping around the hotness. He listened as Grimmjow's breath started to quicken and Ichigo started to rain kisses up the underside, feeling the veins under his lips. The man's cock was twitching and he knew his own was doing the same. His body was more than ready, but he didn't want to rush any of his time with Grimmjow. He could feel his body yearning to be invaded by the man under him, but he was far finished exploring.

Lips slowly wrapped around the bulbous head and Grimmjow cried out when he was engulfed into Ichigo's mouth. His eyes were tightly closed and his thighs trembled slightly at the feel of the hot mouth trying to gobble him whole. His soft hands slid through damp orange locks, grabbing hold of a few strands, but Ichigo didn't seem to mind as he started to bob his head up and down in Grimmjow's lap.

He could taste the man's husky scent on his tongue and it was making him even more turned on. His hand started to slowly slide across his sweating skin and wrapped around his own cock, stroking it as he swallowed down Grimmjow. He moaned around the man and the vibrations made Grimmjow hum with desire. Ichigo never felt so lewd in his life and he didn't know how much longer he could take. Squeezing his fist around his hard-on, he started to stroke faster, making sure to rub the palm of his hand against the head, smearing the fluids around.

His throat constricted as he swallowed around Grimmjow. "Mmmm," the man moaned and Ichigo slowly started to pull away and let his mouth slide down to the base. His fingers tightened around Grimmjow's cock and he started to stroke, feeling the mix of his saliva and the blunet's pre-cum under his fingers and hand. The feeling of it twitching and swelling made him speed up and he wrapped his mouth around the round head, flicking his tongue into the slit. "Fuck, Ichi, I'm gonna cum!" His mouth lowered again and he bobbed his head as he stroke the man and he felt the strong hands gripping his locks and hips thrusting up, pushing the cock deeper down his throat. it was making his own cock harder and he tried to relax his throat before pulling away, feeling cum shoot across his tongue and dribble down his throat. Pulling up, he let it smear against his lips and he moaned, slowly swallowing what was in his mouth. Ichigo listened to Grimmjow pant and he slowly made his way back up, pressing his lips against the perspiring skin.

His palms rubbed against the sheets of the bed and he let his fiery skin rub against Grimmjow's. His body couldn't take it anymore and he needed to feel the blunet inside him. "Gri-Grimm, did you bring a condom?" The blunet mumbled breathlessly and Ichigo could feel the flex of muscles under him as the man stretched, reaching for something.

The feel of Grimmjow's flaccid cock coming back to life made Ichigo want to moan and he found himself grinding down against the bigger man just to feel it that much more. Sweaty palms rubbed against Grimmjow's face before plump and moist lips descended to his lips, sucking on them. The blunet slipped his tongued into Ichigo's mouth and he dropped the condom to the bed to let his hands slide against Ichigo's behind. He rubbed the flesh, kneading the round mounds as the oranget ground back, bringing the blunet's cock back to life and letting it rub against the crack of the smaller man's ass.

He needed to be inside, but Ichigo was in his own little world that he didn't know if neither of them was going to be able to get that far. Ichigo moaned against his lips and Grimmjow looked up into white eyes. Though he couldn't see a thing, he could feel the desire as Ichigo looked his way, the need of wanting to be devoured by passion and feel of being filled and emptied repeatedly. He glanced away and reached his hand up to grab for the condom. Bringing his hand back down to where the other rested on Ichigo's behind, he started to rip the wrapper open. He shakily pulled the condom out, starting to feel himself get restless and needing to be inside the oranget. He placed the top of the latex on the tip of his hard and wet cock and started to roll it down.

Gripping Ichigo's behind, he pulled the firm but round cheeks apart and let his cock rub against the man's narrow hole. Ichigo whined against Grimmjow's lips, before biting down on the lower one, nibbling it as well. The sweat sliding down the crack of Ichigo's ass wasn't enough lube and the blunet groaned, letting go of Ichigo and reaching for the lube that sat next to the bed. He quickly opened it and let a copious amount roll down and over the hole, sliding over his protected cock as well. He threw the bottle away, listening to it thump against the carpeted ground. Two fingers slid across Ichigo's opening and one slipped inside, the other following right after. Grimmjow was being impatient and he started to quickly prepare Ichigo, savoring the cries of pleasure spilling from the swollen lips.

"Feel good, Ichi?"

Ichigo whined, grinding back onto the fingers. "Yes…more, pl-please." The blunet couldn't even respond with his normal chuckle. He was just too turned on to think about teasing the boy at the moment. He let his fingers slid in deeper and he curled them, instantly remembering where Ichigo's pleasure button was. He pushed against it, reveling in the loud moan that he received. "Gri-Grimmjow, no more…fingers…"

The bigger man gulped and pulled his fingers out and guided himself to the orifice before slowly pushing in the head. His hand went back to grab at Ichigo's cheek and he started to let his cock disappear into the smaller male, loving the wanton cries coming from Ichigo. He groaned, slamming himself all the way in until his balls were rubbing against the boy's hole. Ichigo was quick to rub back against him and he guessed the oranget was more than ready.

Being in Ichigo after three months felt amazing and he wished he could just stay motionless inside, but he knew both he and Ichigo wouldn't be able to handle it. He slowly pulled out, loving the way Ichigo's body stretched for him. Pushing in, he listened to Ichigo moan out, the man's lips slowly dropping open. His pace started to gradually quicken until he was slamming his cock into the boy like some kind of jackhammer. The oranget's voice picked up in pitch, getting louder and louder with every thrust and Grimmjow found himself loving every sound. The sound of his name being shouted at the top of lungs just made the act so much more exciting and he felt his hands grip tighter around the mounds. The sound of the bed creaking under them did nothing to stop him from speeding up. If they broke the bed, he really didn't give a damn as long as he didn't have to stop burying himself inside Ichigo.

All Ichigo could do was scream, his mind not being able to produce anything coherent any longer. He felt his hand grip the headboard, his toes curling at the sides of Grimmjow's thighs. The drops of sweat rolled down his forehead and the blunet gazed at how the sweat glistened across the smaller man's body. Ichigo never looked so much sexier than he did right then. His mouth hung open and his eyes tightly shut, while his skin dripped with sweat.

He didn't think he could take anymore and he could feel the wave of conclusion washing over him. He reached between him and Ichigo, wrapping his long fingers around the smaller man's cock. He started to stroke and he listened as Ichigo moaned out, slamming down on the blunet's cock and thrusting into the hand. Ichigo's body started to quiver and he threw his head back, back arching and sweat flinging from his hair as he yelled towards the ceiling. He clenched tightly around Grimmjow and the blunet moaned as he continued to slam upwards into that velvety heat until he couldn't move another inch.

His legs shook and they slowly slid all the way down against the cool and wet sheets. He felt Ichigo's hot body lying across his and he listened to the heavy breathing, feeling the chest rise and fall quickly. Grimmjow could feel Ichigo's muscles constricting around his limp and spent cock, but he made no move to pull out, wanting to savor the feeling of being inside the man. He sighed and looked down to see Ichigo's eyes smoothly shut. The man's breathing was starting to get quieter and before the blunet knew it, Ichigo was fast asleep.

He chuckled and leaned back, gazing at the ceiling. That had been some amazing sex and he guessed it was only right for them to sleep, regardless if they were wet and sticky. They deserved it.

* * *

"Thanks." Grimmjow watched the room server bow before he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. The blunet rolled the table over to the large window and small round table. He was starving after what he and Ichigo had been doing all night and he needed to recharge his batteries. Even after they fell asleep, he had woken up to the sight of Ichigo sucking him off. He was glad he had brought a few packs of condoms or there would have been problems. He figured they were going to have more sex since he was only going to be there for a month. Three months apart without any type of intimacy was hard for them both and it was good to splurge on it while they could.

Pulling the top off a few of the dishes, he gazed at the large Japanese style breakfast for two. Being in America for so long, eating waffles and scrambled eggs made him miss the normal Japanese breakfast. He missed sipping on his miso soup, eating his rice with nori. The grilled fish was always something he enjoyed eating in the morning when he was living with Ichigo as well. It didn't mean he didn't like the traditional American dishes, it was just good to be home and eat what he had been so used to for years.

He looked up when he heard Ichigo clear his throat. "So, you're finally out. Have a nice shower?"

"Ye-yeah, it was nice. My hips are killing me still, though." Grimmjow smirked and gazed back down at the table full of food. "I see breakfast has come already." The blunet looked up, watching Ichigo cautiously make his way over and sit in the chair on the opposite side. He sat himself in the chair behind him and they started to eat, making small talk about Grimmjow's new life in America.

Ichigo hadn't been able to listen to much, what with everyone asking the blunet questions. He had just wanted to have a one on one conversation with his partner and he was glad that they came to the hotel. Grimmjow told Ichigo about his assistant and about most of the concerts. The parties sounded exciting to Ichigo, being around all those different musicians and the idea of San Francisco being neutral to the gay community made him think a bit. It wasn't that easy for same-gender couples in Japan, though it wasn't that bad, but he was glad there was places that supported everyone.

Grimmjow had spoke about Japantown and it was making Ichigo want to just fly over to America and never come back. He had thought that it would be difficult to move to a new place and though it was, Grimmjow made the transition seem so easy.

"S-so, Grimmjow…what would you think about me moving out there with you? ...I mean…later on down the road."

"Hell, I would be fuckin' ecstatic! I know it's hard for both of us to be separated." Ichigo smirked and looked towards the warmth spilling from the window. "You know I would love to have you there with me, Ichigo. But, do you think you're ready to leave your family and friends behind? I mean I know you can visit them, but this is still a long way away."

Ichigo knew that as well, but he didn't mind as long as he could still visit them. He still worried about his blindness, but he figured wherever he went it would be a struggle. Grimmjow brought the best out of him and he felt like he could do anything around the man. The man was his rock, keeping his feet planted to the ground and Ichigo knew Grimmjow felt the same away about him. They balanced each other out in a way that no other person could. Their souls connected and their minds were almost one in the same. Being around Grimmjow made him feel alive again and he would regret ever giving that up.

"Ichigo…"

"Hmm?"

"Whatever happens, you know I'll wait for you, right?" The oranget turned towards Grimmjow and looked his way. "I mean…you never have to rush yourself in decisions when it comes to being with me. I know I've added quite a lot of confusion and unfamiliar things into your life and I'm just glad that you even put up with me."

Ichigo chuckled and slid out of his chair. He reached his hand out, feeling Grimmjow's large hand in his. He settled himself down in the man's lap and leaned over, pressing his lips against the man's nose then lower, right above the lips before capturing them in a soft kiss. "It's kind of weird saying this, but that statement made me kind of horny." Grimmjow found himself chuckling against soft lips before capturing them.

"Yeah… that was totally the wrong thing to say…if I was someone else, but you're good with me." Ichigo just smiled, chuckling at how easy it was to be goofy with Grimmjow. He was relaxing and he enjoyed every minute of it.


	16. Chapter 16

Ichigo smiled, ice cream in hand as he walked side by side with Grimmjow. The sun was high and the air was humid but Ichigo didn't seem to mind. He was so used to something so much hotter and he could feel it radiating from the man next to him. It had been a few days since they left the hotel, but that didn't stop them from spending time with each other. It seemed the Grimmjow had planned a lot while he was in Japan and he was bringing Ichigo along wherever he went.

The blunet vowed that he would be spending the rest of his vacation with no one but Ichigo and that's exactly what he was doing. The long walks on the hot nights, just enjoying the warm breeze that would flutter by. They had ventured back to the beach where they spent most of the time talking and sitting in the sand and just savoring the aroma of seawater. They went to the park, just to longue around under large and shadowy trees, loving the coolness of grass beneath them. Grimmjow even enjoyed just hanging out on the couch at Ichigo's home, laid out with Ichigo between his legs and Pantera sitting on his chest. He reveled in hearing Ichigo's deep breathing and smelling the sweet aroma of orange locks.

The blunet took Ichigo to a few symphonies and the oranget appreciated the fact that they had the same kind of love for music. It had led Ichigo to taking Grimmjow to a few dance clubs. He wasn't much of a dancer, but grinding against a small and plump behind wasn't really what Grimmjow considered dancing. He would never pass up on the chance though. He enjoyed feeling the curvaceous ass clad in tight jeans rocking up against him. The feel of their bodies syncing to the sound of music. He loved feeling Ichigo's exploring hands touching him, wanting to seek out something to grasp, to research. It usually led to something a bit steamier. The hotness of their bodies being pressed together, the feeling of the wet appendage against his own and the satisfaction he received from being buried deep inside Ichigo. Sex had played a major part in Grimmjow's trip back and he knew it was because he would be away for another three months. It was hard being without the intimacy so they strived to take care of it as many times as they could. Grimmjow was starting to realize just how much Ichigo was becoming his addiction.

He found himself needing Ichigo in every way shape and form, not just in a sexual way, but in an emotional way as well. The man had become everything to him and he was starting to strive to be what Ichigo needed. He **wanted**  to be the man that was able to give Ichigo everything he could ever want. He  **needed**  to work harder to keep the man by his side and he was  **willing**  to do anything to do that. He knew that he was never the kind of man that he would even depend on, but now that he had the oranget he wanted to be the only person that Ichigo could ever need. If something should happen, he wanted Ichigo to know that he would be there for him no matter what.

He knew it seemed like he was the one that didn't need any help, but the thought of being able to be there for Ichigo was enough to keep him strong. When he had been with Luppi, that was never the case. At first it was, but the more they stayed together, the more Grimmjow felt like he was becoming useless in the relationship. It wasn't that Luppi didn't let Grimmjow take care of him. It was that Grimmjow didn't feel the urge, the desire to be there for the petite man. He couldn't find it in him to want to work harder and that had brought about his doubt and loss of self-confidence.

He didn't want to continue being that way around Ichigo. He wasn't sure if it was because he cared about Ichigo so much or if it was a sense of protection for the orange haired man, but he knew whatever the case, he never wanted to feel that incompetent again.

"Grimmjow, what are you thinking about? You're so quiet over there." The blunet glanced over to Ichigo, white eyes gazing in his direction and the man's plump lips pressed against his ice cream. He watched the pink tongue slide up and over the creamy treat and his mind started to produce naughty images. He cleared his throat and looked away, taking a bite at his waffle cone.

"Uh, nothing much. Wondering where we should go next." Ichigo hummed, pulling his lips away from the ice cream, licking them clean.

"I have a place I want to go to. If you are willing."

"Yeah, show me the way." Ichigo blushed and quickly looked away. He thought he would never hear those words spoken to him again. He was happy that Grimmjow was willing to let him lead, putting his life in his hands and it was just one of the many things Ichigo loved about the blunet. He sheepishly smiled to himself before nibbling on his cone, his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

* * *

Ichigo slowly made his way up the long hill, Grimmjow a few steps behind him. The sun was starting to slowly set, but they could still feel the heat, as it seemed to get hotter. The sweat pooling across the oranget's brow didn't bother him as he blindly led the blunet where he was going. Even if it had been a while since he had been up there, he knew the place confidently. It was as if it was imprinted in his mind, burned into his soul for all eternity. He didn't need to be led by someone's hand or guided down the right path. He didn't even have his walking stick with him, it being held by the man behind him, as well as a bouquet of flowers. Grimmjow wondered whom the flowers were for, but he didn't have the urge to ask. He didn't even feel the need to ask Ichigo if he needed any help in finding his way. He knew if the man needed help he would ask him.

Ichigo made his way towards a dirt road and cautiously started to walk up the sloped path, listening to the trees rustle on both sides of him and the sounds of Grimmjow's sports sandals behind him, crushing dirt clumps under his feet.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, Grimmjow noticed their location. He watched the younger man reach out, feeling the tops of stones, letting his fingers linger and dip into groves. They stopped at a set of graves and Ichigo stood in the middle of blunet frowned, standing next to Ichigo and gazing down at him. He watched the sad smile curl across the soft lips and looked back towards the tombstones.

"Hey Mom, Dad, it's been a while since I've been here," Ichigo started. Grimmjow glanced at the names engraved on the stones and realized just whom the flowers were for. "I'm so sorry I haven't been to see you guys. Depression about what happened, coupled with my accident has kept me away, but I'm much better now. I've met someone and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been able to come see you guys with a smile on my face."

"Ichigo…" The oranget shook his head, trying his hardest not to tear up.

"Grimmjow has been more than I could ask for and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have gotten my confidence back. Life has been so hard without you guys here by my side. I know Yuzu and Karin have come to see you, so I don't need to speak on their behalf. I just want to know that I miss you guys, more than anything. A void has been left behind and Grimmjow has been steadily feeling that void and though nothing or no one can compare to the love I have for my parents, Grimmjow has been working his way into my heart. I don't know if it's love or if it's an infatuation. All I know is that life would never be the same if I lost him."

Grimmjow's eyes widened and he gazed at Ichigo, shocked by the confession. He had never heard those words come from Ichigo's mouth and he never knew that the oranget had cared that much.

"I know you guys never thought I would be dating a guy, I was in the same boat at first, but life is so much better with Grimmjow. I don't even see it as we are the same gender, but that he is what I have been missing in my life. He is my other half and without him I don't feel complete. He is my rock, my foundation and I would be so happy if you gave us your blessing to be together."

Ichigo smiled and reached out, wrapping his fingers over Grimmjow's arm. He started to slowly pull the man over until he was standing where he had been. He stood behind him and wrapped his arms around Grimmjow's waist, leaning against him.

"Say something, Grimmjow." The blunet gazed down at the tombstones with a confused expression. He gripped to bouquet of flowers tighter and he could feel nervousness set in.

"Ichigo, I, uh, I don't know what to say."

"Just say whatever you want. I brought you here so that you could meet them. I know it's nothing like it should be, but this is all I have." Ichigo buried his face in the man's tank top, breathing in Grimmjow's strong aroma. "You have already met Karin and Yuzu and they love you so much, I felt it was only right for you to meet my parents as well. I know they would have loved you too." Grimmjow looked over his shoulder to see only a mob of orange hair. He sighed and looked back towards the graves.

"Uh, hey, I'm Grimmjow, but I guess you already know that." The blunet frowned, but when he felt Ichigo tighten his grip, the nervousness started to slowly dissipate. "I know this is probably awkward for a guy to be sayin' this about your son, but I really do hope that you give us your blessings. Ichigo is someone I care about deeply and I would do anything to make him happy. Just like he said I am his rock and I feel the same way about him. It may sound silly to him, but Ichigo has done so much for me and though he may not know it, I appreciate him greatly. I still don't know if it's love, but I can easily say that life wouldn't be life without him. I consider him my partner, my other half and I would love to be apart of the…Kurosaki family."

Grimmjow sighed, feeling Ichigo's fingers gripping his shirt tightly. "How was that, Ichi?" He looked back over his shoulder to see teary white eyes looking up in his direction. He gave a lop-sided grin, waiting for Ichigo to speak.

"It was…perfect. Now, give them the flowers." The bigger man nodded and turned around. Leaning over, he set the white floras down right in the middle of the graves. Grimmjow felt a hand slide into his and he squeezed it, not even moving an inch. They stood there for a moment, paying their respects before slowly walking down the long hill. The trip to see Ichigo's parents did nothing to put a damper on their time together, only seeming to make them a little lighter. Grimmjow could tell Ichigo was a little more relieved now that he had gone to see them.

The night was still young and Ichigo didn't want to go home yet. Grimmjow was fine with that and they decided to go to a small summer festival that was usually held in Karakura. It didn't take much time getting there since it was close to Ichigo's neighborhood, but they were surprised to see the rest of their friends there. When they arrived, Grimmjow had instantly spotted Orihime clad in a bright green and blue yukata. Her arm was wrapped around a pale arm, which was attached to the blunet's best friend Ulquiorra.

"Grimmjow!" she shouted, waving animatedly in the air. The moment she shouted, Grimmjow noticed Rukia and Renji in a very…comprising position. He snorted, knowing that kind of thing between them wouldn't last, but he said nothing. He enjoyed the rest of the night with Ichigo and the man's friends. It was fun, playing the games and stuffing their faces with all kinds of festival snacks.

After being there for about an hour of having fun, it was almost time to go, but of course everyone wanted to stay and see the fireworks. Ichigo wasn't sure if he wanted to stay, but everyone kept persisting. Grimmjow watched on, seeing the sadness in the man's facial expression and wondered what was wrong. They casually made their way to a grassed area, high on a hill. A few other people were already there; blankets laid out and people gazing up at the stars. Ichigo walked behind Grimmjow, their fingers intertwined and the blunet could feel the tension in the grasp. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the smaller man's head lowered, tangerine locks hiding his eyes.

They finally made it up to the hill and Orihime pulled a blanket out of her small basket she had with her, laying it down and smoothing it out. Everyone piled on, Grimmjow sitting on the far end, Ichigo sitting next to him. He glanced over seeing the sadness still.

"Ichi," he whispered. The oranget looked up, waiting for Grimmjow to continue. "What's wrong? You were so happy earlier." Ichigo looked down, twiddling his thumbs. Grimmjow could see that whatever he was trying to hide was making him nervous.

"I-I…" Ichigo frowned before sighing. "It kind of ruins the mood…that I can't see the fireworks. It would be…romantic to be able to see them together, you know, like everyone else." Grimmjow wanted to snicker. Ichigo could be so cute sometimes without even knowing it. He reached his hand out, softly gripping Ichigo's chin and lifting it up.

"You don't need fireworks for it to be romantic." He leaned over, pressing his lips against the man's forehead before he slowly started to descend his face. Ichigo sighed every time he felt the lips press against his skin and he wondered what this was going to do. The moment Grimmjow's lips press against Ichigo's lips, he could hear the boom and pop of fireworks. He listened to the ohs and ahs around him, but his mind was only on the hot lips that were against his. He felt Grimmjow's tongue slid against his lips and he slowly opened his mouth, letting it slip inside. Ichigo didn't understand how his body could turn to jelly with just this. The man was exploring every part of him and Ichigo's body was starting to get hot. He slowly closed his eyes and leaned in, feeling large arms wrap round his waist. Tongues intertwined and swapped desire and passion, Ichigo feeling his hands slide across Grimmjow's face and through soft hair. A tingle was swiftly running up and down his body and he felt something spark in his loins. It exploded and touched every nerve in his body. He pushed against the bigger body, feeling Grimmjow fall over and lay against the grass. His lips started to suck on Grimmjow's, loving the feel of them pressed between his.

Grimmjow had been wrong when he said that they didn't need fireworks for it to be romantic, because if that was the case, Ichigo wouldn't feel like his body was on fire. He wouldn't feel like a fuse had been lit inside him and ignited the explosion that was wracking his body at the moment. He may not be able to see them, but the one inside him felt like nothing he had ever felt and he knew no firework display would ever make him feel the way that he felt when Grimmjow touched him, when Grimmjow loved him. His own personal firework.

* * *

Luppi pouted as he and Loly walked down the pavement at the summer festival. His yukata fluttered in the warm breeze and sighed, sucking on the candy in his mouth. Looking over his shoulder, he saw his best friend flirting with some guy and he groaned in annoyace.

"I'll be back, Loly." The woman ignored him completely and Luppi stomped away, his sandals slapping against the ground. He didn't understand why Loly felt the need to try to find him a new boyfriend. He had Grimmjow already and that was the only man for him. He made his way towards the men's bathroom that was situated at the edge of where the festival end. He walked inside and did his business before coming out, and standing off to the side. He was so ready to go hours ago and he wished Loly would just hurry up.

He sighed, but flinched when he heard something coming from behind him. He frowned and looked over his shoulder, when he heard the sound again. Quietly making his way over, he stepped over a set of bushes, making sure to pull his yukata up in fear of tearing it. When he got closer, he froze hearing the familiar sounds of sex. His cheeks turned red, but he made no move to leave, in fact slowly getting closer. He pressed his hands against a tree and looked around it, when his eyes went wide and his mouth slowly fell open.

He listened to the sounds coming from the open mouth and seeing the orange hair plastered against the peach-skinned forehead. Looking away, he noticed the blue hair and his eyes were stuck on the figure of his ex-boyfriend. He let his eyes linger, descending down the arching back, hidden under the white tank top. Lavender eyes watched the thrusting hips and tight ass as it flexed and the petite man didn't know how to feel at the moment.

"Grimmjow!" he heard the orange haired man cry out and the lithe body arched as the smaller man's hands leaning against the tree, his body bent over, being pounded into. Luppi listened to the slapping of skin and the familiar moaning voice of Grimmjow. He watched the large hands grip the narrow hips before they pulled the smaller body flush against the larger one. Lips locked and Luppi could see the tears of pleasure rolling down the orange haired man's face.

He quickly backed away, turning around and running away from the scene. He could feel the tears falling down his face and he did not attempt to stop them. He didn't understand why Grimmjow had to hurt him in such a way. He found a bench and sat himself on it, huddling over and burying his face in his hands to sob. It was all that freaks fault. If he hadn't gotten in the way, he would have Grimmjow back by his side.

His dainty hands balled into fists and he could feel the anger in him boiling over. He was just finding more reasons to get rid of that orange haired nuisance and he couldn't wait to be able to act on his newfound plan.

* * *

Ichigo's legs felt weak as he started to leave the festival with Grimmjow and the rest of his friends. He didn't know what had come over him when he had asked Grimmjow if they could go somewhere a little more intimate. The man had some kind of hold on him and every touch would make his sensitive body hot. He blushed at what they had just finished doing behind the men's room and vowed to never do something like that again. It wasn't that he didn't like it, but it was the exact opposite. It had been exhilarating and he could understand why people had sex outdoors. He not being able to see anything had made everything so much more intense and he had found himself overly turned on.

His blush darkened and he heard a chuckle come from next to him. He scowled, glaring in Grimmjow's direction. "Don't laugh, you pervert."

"You were the one that asked for it," Grimmjow mumbled, not wanting anyone to hear their conversation. "Besides, who was the one screaming my name?" Ichigo's face burned with embarrassment and he quickly stomped ahead, wanting to get farther away from Grimmjow. He listened to the man cackle and he looked behind him, sticking his tongue out. He continued to walk forward, turning his face around and when he did, he collided with something or someone, tripping and falling back, landing on his behind.

"…Ichigo!" Grimmjow ran towards the orange haired man when he saw the petite man he had once called his boyfriend standing over Ichigo. He quickly grabbed the oranget by his arm, helping him up from the ground, azure eyes never leaving the lavender ones. He pulled Ichigo behind him and listened to Ichigo's friends start fussing over the man.

"What the hell, Luppi? Watch where you are goin'!"

"He was the one that ran into me. Tch, such a hassle. Why are you even with him, anyway? You're mine. Don't you remember?" Grimmow glared down at the sickly sweet smile that was plastered on Luppi's face. He really hated the man and he was more than ready to kill him.

"I hate having to repeat myself after so many times, so I refuse to answer that. Yer just fuckin' hardheaded." The smile instantly vanished and Luppi glared up into blue eyes.

He wouldn't stop glaring at the petite man. It wasn't safe to have Ichigo around him and he was worried about what Luppi would do. He felt Ichigo's hand slide into his, making him glance over before looking back towards Luppi, seeing the look of anger on the petite man's face. "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken," Ichigo started and Luppi's eyes turned to him. "He's with me." Grimmjow's eyes went wide at the confidence in Ichigo's voice, but he made no move to look back down at Ichigo. "And I would appreciate it if you just left Grimmjow alone."

Ichigo didn't want to sound rude, but Grimmjow had obviously had had enough of Luppi harassing him and he didn't want the blunet to get stressed out on his vacation.

"You little freak!" Luppi screeched. "How dare you talk to me in such a way!" Ichigo's lips turned up in a sneer and Grimmjow could feel some kind of enraged aura wrapping around the oranget.

"Ichigo…"

"What did you just call me?" Ichigo hissed. Luppi watched the blind man gazing his way but not directly at him. He found himself starting to snicker before it turned into a full-blown laugh, his finger pointing at Ichigo.

"Hahahaha, you heard me, hahahaha, FREAK! A blind one at that! Oh man, this is rich. Grimmjow, stop joking around with this pitiful excuse and come home to me. Seriously, what could a blind person possibly do for you? He can't even see yo-" Everyone's eyes went wide when Ichigo's fist swung across Luppi's mouth, making him fall to the concrete ground. The dark haired man tried not to whimper as he brought his hand up to his face, feeling the blood dripping. He could feel the pain in his lips and the throbbing starting to slowly reveal.

"I may not be able to see, but I have damn good hearing."

"Holy shit!" Renji exclaimed before laughing out loud at the man laid out on the ground, his eyes tightly shut with joy. He couldn't believe his best friend had just done that. It had been so long since he had seen Ichigo raise his hand to anyone. "That was awesome, Ichi!" Opening his eyes, he looked back towards Ichigo's spot to see the man not standing there anymore. "Ichigo?" He looked around and noticed Grimmjow not there as well, blue hair flashing out the corner of his eye. He turned around to see Grimmjow disappearing around the corner. "Where the hell are they going?" Rukia just rolled her eyes and started making her way away from the scene, Ulquiorra and Orihime following behind her. "Hey! Don't leave me!" Renji shouted, running after them, leaving Luppi to fend for himself who was glaring in Grimmjow's direction.

* * *

"Ichigo!" Grimmjow ran after the oranget, worried that he would hurt himself. "Ichigo, slow down!" The orange haired man started to slow down before he came to a complete stop near a lamppost on the corner of the deserted street. Grimmjow came up behind him, stopping as well. "…Are…are you okay?"

"No! I'm not okay!" Ichigo yelled. He turned around and Grimmjow could see the tear stains on the man's face. "I'm not okay, Grimmjow!"

"…What's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong! …He…he was right. You are just wasting your time on me. I'll never be able to do anything for you with the way I am. I know that you said all that stuff earlier, but do you really feel that way? I'm a burden on everyone and I will continue to be for as long as I'm blind. I'm not the kind of person that you should put your heart and soul into. I'm not the kind of person that even deserves anything that you offer me. I'm just going to get spoiled by it and then I'm going to feel like all you're doing is pitying me."

Grimmjow sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Glancing over, he saw a short wall and made his way over to sit on it. "Luppi wasn't right. In fact, Luppi has **NEVER**  been right about anything. He's an asshole and he only does things that benefit him. He says whatever he knows is going to hurt people's feelings because he's a selfish, bigheaded brat. He always has been and he always will be. I'm really starting to wonder how the hell we even got to together." Grimmjow looked up seeing Ichigo still looking away from him. "But whatever, I did really feel that way. I would never say something like that in front of your parents if I didn't mean it."

Grimmjow reached out, grabbing the belt loop at the top of Ichigo's shorts. He started pulling the man towards him before wrapping his arms around the lithe waist. Ichigo refused to look his way, his head turned to the side and his arms folded across his chest.

"You're not a burden, Ichigo. That was obvious today. You led me around without a problem; you were being your own self. You even punched Luppi in the mouth. Pretty hard I might add." Azure eyes watched the small smile reveal at the revelation. "Ichigo, I love everything about you and that's the reason I pour my heart and soul into you. There is a reason that I'm still standing by your side. There is a reason that I spoil you and it's never out of pity. It's because I want you to be happy." He watched Ichigo turn his full attention towards him and Grimmjow gazed down into white eyes.

"Before I met you I just saw everything in black and white, but now my vision has widened. And even though you can't see what I see, you can see so much more. You're perspective on everything is so much different from mine. The way you see people and can understand them just from being able to listen to them is something I admire. So quit saying everything is wrong, stop saying that you aren't good enough for me, because it's actually the other way around."

Ichigo frowned, not sure what to say. He never thought Grimmjow really felt that way. He knew the man said it all the time, but words sometimes never meant anything. He thought about everything Grimmjow had done for him and he realized that the blunet really wouldn't possibly waste his time if there wasn't a reason to. He leaned over, burying his face in the man's chest.

"I still have a lot of doubt about what we have, Grimmjow."

"Honestly, you should, but if I have to keep confirming my feelings I will. Until it's seared into your mind so you can never forget it." Ichigo felt smooth fingers run through his hair and he pushed closer to the larger man.

"I don't want you to go back to America. I need you here, with me." Grimmjow frowned and lowered his face into Ichigo's hair. "It doesn't feel right when you aren't here. My confidence just gets worse and worse. You think I'm bad now, you should see how much I hide inside when you're gone. I try, Grimmjow. I really do, but this life is just so hard to get used to."

"You can do it. You've been doing so well so far. I can't even tell that you are having problems. Just keep telling yourself that you can do it, no matter what is. You don't need me here, Ichigo. You're fine on your own and you know that I'm always a phone call away.

Ichigo looked up and Grimmjow gazed down at him. "I don't want the phone calls. I just want to feel you near me." The blunet sighed and pressed his lips against the man's lips, still gazing into the cloudy eyes.

"You'll be fine…I promise."  _I promise._


	17. Chapter 17

Ichigo sighed, his head lying against the soft pillow. His skin was slick with sweat and he could hear the whirling of the ceiling fan, trying to cool his flesh. He could feel Grimmjow's large body behind him and the large arms wrapping around his body. He enjoyed this so much and he was sad that he would be away from it for another three months. The thought of having to sleep alone did nothing to help his mood and he wished that he could just keep Grimmjow locked away. It had been a couple of days since the summer festival and the blunet was soon to leave, his vacation finally over. Ichigo didn't know how he should feel. He wanted to be happy for the blue haired man, but the more he thought about the lonely nights and only being able to hear his voice, the more he wanted Grimmjow to stay.

He had thought about going with the man, but he knew he couldn't leave his sisters, at least not before speaking to them about it. They didn't live with him, but he was really the only family they had other than their uncle. Kisuke was a great guardian and he had done a lot for them, but he knew it just wasn't the same. He knew Karin and Yuzu would worry about him. He would be the same way, but he knew he couldn't stay home all the time. There was a life out there for him and he needed to live it. It would only be a twelve-hour flight back to Japan whenever he wanted to come home and he knew that it wasn't as if he wouldn't see them ever again.

He turned over in the brawny arms and leaned closer to the larger male. He could feel the deep breathing ghost over his unseeing eyes and he smiled softly. Reaching his hand out, he let his fingers run over the bare skin. He slid them up the man's neck, feeling the jaw line before his palm settled on the man's cheek. He listened to the man groan and he felt the face push closer into his hand.

"Ichi?" a letharic voice called.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." Ichigo slowly started to pull his hand away, but it was caught by Grimmjow's and placed back onto the cheek. He felt himself being pulled closer until his face was buried in the blunet's neck.

"You should be sleeping. I know it's gotta be late." Ichigo frowned and lowered his hand, wrapping his arms around Grimmjow's neck. He didn't want to leave from that spot. He didn't want to deal with this all by himself. He knew he was strong, but for once he just waned to be babied, not by his friends, but by Grimmjow. He wanted to be spoiled even though it was contradicting his pervious statements. He just didn't care anymore.

"I don't want you to leave. I don't. I don't."

"Ichigo…" The oranget felt the man slide up against the headboard and he felt himself being pulled into the man's large arms.

"I'm sorry, but I want to be selfish. I don't want you to go back, Grimmjow. I-I thought I could do this alone, but I can't. I can't say goodbye to you again."

"You know I can't stay, Ichi. You and I both know that, no matter how much I want to." The oranget frowned and buried his face in the man's neck.

"It's not fair," his muffled voice said. "I know I can go out there with you, but I'm just not ready to make such a big step."

"Do you expect me to take a step back from where I am now? Come on, Ichigo. Be reasonable." The oranget flinched at the tone in Grimmjow's voice, but he knew the blunet had a reason to be upset. "I'm already doing a lot by flying here every three months. I can't put off my whole career because you don't want to be alone."

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Naw, it's okay. I understand how you feel, but just…you gotta be able to do this on your own. I won't be around all the time and you should treat this as if we never even met." Ichigo frowned and pushed closer to the man, gazing out at nothing. He didn't even like thinking about where he would be if Grimmjow hadn't been around. "You said it yourself that you want to be independent again, and you can't do that with me holding your hand. I've done all I can, it's your turn now."

Ichigo sighed, before listening to the quietness surround them. "…Yo-you're right, Grimmjow. I do need to do this on my own. I know I can, it's just hard, but that really never stopped me before. I just need to get my mindset back to how it used to be." Ichigo felt his chin being raised, before lips pressed against his.

"That's the spirit. Now, I'm exhausted, I'm going back to sleep. And I think you should be doing the same thing. I only have a few days left here so I want to get as much rest as I can." Ichigo nodded and he slid back deeper into the covers, feeling arms wrap around him and a face bury itself in his hair.

He needed to stop being a brat about everything and get back to the way things used to be. He never worried about such things and though he cared about Grimmjow, he knew he was being a little whinier than normal. He needed to retrieve his self-confidence; get his backbone and he needed to become the Kurosaki Ichigo he used to be.

* * *

Luppi growled as he ripped a photo of him and Grimmjow into tiny pieces. He reached for the next picture in the small purple box and tore it as well. He didn't care anymore. He didn't give a damn if Grimmjow took him back or not. He refused to distress over it any longer. If the blunet didn't want him then so be it. He was too good for him anyway. He had been so dedicated to the man, that he never realized that he could do so much better than that hoodlum who hid behind his piano. He realized that Grimmjow didn't deserve him and that he should just move on with his life. Did that mean he would stop his plans of getting rid of the orange haired nuisance? No. That night at the festival, he had been humiliated in front of so many people. The man he had loved the most, just took the side of that freak and did nothing to stop what happened. He refused to be treated like some fool. He refused to take that that sitting down any longer and had come up with his own plan to get rid of the blind man.

Loly wasn't doing her job anyway and he was tired of waiting for her to think of something to get rid of the orange haired man. He had thought she was his friend and thought that she would help him, but he had been so wrong. He couldn't stand around, hoping that she would do her part and he needed to take matters into his own hands. The plan he had come up with was so simple and he was surprised that he hadn't thought of it earlier.

He looked down at the square box of photos. He really couldn't believe it was over between him and Grimmjow. Three years had been such a long time and he felt like he should be able to get something back for every single one of them. He wanted Grimmjow to tell him that their relationship had actually meant something to him, but he knew that the blunet would never say such things. He wondered how he could be so blind, so stupid and he felt like he had been used for his feelings.

He reached inside the box, pulling out a photo from high school. Lavender eyes gazed at them in their high school uniforms and he realized just how much he had done for the blue haired man. Even before they started dating he had been there for Grimmjow. Throughout every fight, he had been there. He had been by his side every step of the way, no matter what it was. And to be thrown to the side like some cheep floozy wasn't something he enjoyed.

Though his thoughts of what to do with the blind man were because he had been attacked, it was riddled with revenge. He wanted Grimmjow to suffer just as he had been suffering since the blunet left. He wanted Grimmjow to realize how much it hurt to have something precious taken away from him. He wanted to make the man see that he was not one to be played with and that if Grimmjow was going to leave him alone, then he would leave the blunet all alone as well.

* * *

Ichigo sighed, wiggling his toes in the grainy sand. He could feel the tidewater rolling over his them and he could feel the coldness of the liquid. It soothed the warmth radiating in his body as he felt the burning sun rays on his skin. This seemed to become he and Grimmjow's place of solitude. It was a spot that they could get away from everyone and anything else. It was early morning, so it was deserted and quiet.

Ichigo could feel Grimmjow's legs brushing across his own and he sighed at the relief it gave him. It was going to be hard, but he knew he would have to do this alone. He needed to depend on himself more than he needed to depend on the blue haired man.

"Ichi." He hummed when he heard Grimmjow call to him. "I'm going to be gone tomorrow so I want to talk about something." Ichigo looked over his shoulder before turning completely around, his face towards the others. His brows creased as he waited for the man to speak again. "No scowling." Fingers ran across his brow and they smoothed out under the touch.

"What's up?"

"I want to talk to you about surgery." Ichigo frowned, not wanting to have this conversation.

"I've told you already, Grimmjow. I don't want your help for that."

"I know, but just hear me out." Ichigo sighed, but nodded. "You've been struggling a lot and I think if you just get the surgery, then you won't feel so down anymore. Your vision was a major part of your life and now that it's gone you feel like it just isn't the same. I understand you have been trying and I can see that, but are you really happy about how you are living right now?"

"…No," Ichigo mumbled.

"Then…just let me help you. I have the money for it. You can pay me back or not, it really doesn't matter to me, but I want you to be as happy as you can be. You aren't if you keep living your life like this. I know loads of people go through their lives without seeing, hearing, even not being able to walk, but if it doesn't make you happy and you can do something about it, then why live this miserable life?"

The oranget frowned, knowing that Grimmjow was right, but he couldn't find it in himself to agree. That was basically being in debted to Grimmjow for the rest of his life and though the man seemed to genuinely want to help him, he couldn't think passed the fact that his life would be in Grimmjow's hands.

"Ichigo…I know it's hard for you to ask for help or accept when help is being offered, but I'm doing this because I care about you. I'm not going to pressure you to choose, but just think about it, okay? Maybe when I come back in three months, you'll have your answer."

Ichigo nodded. He really did want his eyes sight back. He wanted to be able to see the sky and sea again. He wanted to be able to watch Yuzu and Karin grow up. To be able to see what he had missed for almost a year made him giddy with joy. But what he really wanted most was to be able to see Grimmjow. He wanted to be able to enjoy gazing into his eyes, which he still didn't know the color of. He wanted to see the man smile, the way his face changed when he was feeling at his highest point. Ichigo wanted to see what he had been touching since they had started dating.

He looked down, a smile sliding across his face. It would be nice to see Grimmjow with his own eyes. He had never cared about what the man looked like when they first met, and he still didn't, but it would be nice to know. It would be exciting to be able to look into the man's eyes when they became intimate and the thought made him want to accept Grimmjow's gesture.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

Today was the day and Ichigo didn't know how to feel. He sat on the couch, listening to Grimmjow go through his belongings, making sure he had everything. One month was just never enough when it came to the blunet. He knew it would come around again, but the thought of being away for so long made him upset.

" Alright, I think I got everything." Grimmjow gazed over to see Ichigo looked in his direction. He rose from his kneeling position, dusting off his jeans. "…Did you want to come to the airport with me? I mean…Renji isn't here to take me, so you'll have to take a cab back, but well…"

"Uh, yeah." Ichigo wanted to beam with joy, but he thought twice and kept it inside. If he could spend more time with Grimmjow, then that was all that mattered. After gathering everything and calling a cab, Ichigo and Grimmjow were on their way to the airport. They sat silently in the back of the vehicle, Grimmjow gazing out of the window. He wondered what was going on with the vibe, but he guessed it was Ichigo still upset about him leaving. He could understand. He didn't want to leave either, but this was life and sometimes you had to do what you didn't want to.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go back, but he just didn't want to go back without Ichigo. He didn't want Ichigo constantly on his mind until the point where he started to frustrate over things. He enjoyed hearing his voice, but he enjoyed being near the man more. He enjoyed feeling the warm skin under his fingertips. He sighed and continued to gaze out. Soft and long fingers slowly slide across his knuckled, letting them calmly dip between each one. The fingers casually slid across his before they went between them and curled under until Ichigo's hand was gripping his. That was all they needed. No words had to be said and Grimmjow enjoyed just feeling the oranget next to him.

They pulled up to Karakura Airport and Grimmjow handed the driver enough money for the trip up as well as the trip back for Ichigo. Stepping out and pulling his suitcase out of the trunk, he made his way to the curb. He watched Ichigo slowly step out, his hand gripping the door of the cab. Ichigo softly smiled and Grimmjow did the same as he made his way closer.

"I'll call you when I get there." Ichigo just nodded, his hand gripping the door tighter. "Remember what I told you and don't forget to think about that other thing." Ichigo nodded again, still not wanting to say anything. The blunet leaned in and pressed his lips against the oranget's, not caring about who was around. He was long over being seen, not ashamed of what he was or what he liked.

Ichigo sighed, feeling Grimmjow's lips pressed against his. He leaned in and he felt the man's hand grip his hip under his shirt. A tongue entered his mouth and he sucked on it, not ever wanting to disconnect from the blunet. He felt Grimmjow slow pull away and he leaned in more, hoping the man would just continue to kiss him.

"Ichi…I gotta go," he felt Grimmjow say against his lips. Blinking, he licked his lips before nodding.

"Ha-have a safe trip." Grimmjow nodded and Ichigo stood there until he couldn't feel the man's body heat close to him any longer. Slipping back into the cab, he leaned back and sighed, feeling the car start to move. That had been harder than the first time Grimmjow left, but he felt that he handled it so much better.

* * *

Grimmjow stretched and leaned against his banister, gazing out. The afternoon breeze was nice against his bare upper body and he sighed. He was relaxing before he had to play the symphony concert for the night. It had only been a couple of weeks since he got back to San Francisco, but he wasn't feeling as happy about it as he should. He had come back to his new home to bury himself in his amazing career, but he felt like something was missing this time around. He felt like he shouldn't be there. He groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

Ichigo's words were starting to get to him. He tried to ignore the alone feeling he was having. He was trying to remember that he was there for himself and for Ichigo, but it just didn't feel the same without the man there with him. He really had become addicted to Ichigo in a way that wasn't healthy for neither of them. That made the three months away both unbearable and greatly needed. He was glad that he would be away. He needed to evaluate the way he thought about their relationship and how they were so dependent on each other.

Grimmjow hoped that Ichigo would give him a positive answer when he went back in three months and he hoped that the surgery would both benefit Ichigo's life as well as their relationship. Ichigo's independence wasn't just for himself, but for them both and he knew if the man could get back to how he was before his accident, they would do just fine. He wasn't sure how Ichigo was before, but he knew it had to be better than the depression Ichigo was silently going through.

* * *

Ichigo laughed, listening to Inoue talk about her trip to Tokyo DisneySea with Ulquiorra. The thought of her dragging the green-eyed, obsidian haired man with her was more than he could bare and though Orihime said it had been romantic, there had been some scenes that she explained that were just over the top. Ichigo just couldn't see Ulquiorra at that kind of place and the thought of it was both hilarious and somewhat relieving. Inoue had really found someone who was willing to enjoy her enthusiasm and good nature. The man had become everything to Orihime and he could see that she was overjoyed with so many amazing emotions.

"Do I hear wedding bells in the future, Inoue?" Orihime blushed at the thought of her and Ulquiorra walking down the aisle of a church. The floors would be lined with baby's breath with blue and green floras to match them. She could see herself in a long white gown with all sorts of ruffles and lace. Ulquiorra would be in a white suit and a green silk tie to match his large chartreuse eyes. "Earth to Inoue," Ichigo sing-sang. She could feel her blush deepening and she cleared her throat.

"O-of course not, Ichigo! It's way too early for that! Th-that's silly!" Ichigo chuckled, shaking his head at her reaction. "You and Grimmjow would get married before we did, anyway."

"What!" Inoue smiled and watched the blush rise across Ichigo's face. "I don't think that's going to happen, Inoue."

"You love him though, right? That's obviously the next step." Ichigo frowned. In a normal situation that would be the normal flow of things. Get together, date, fall in love and get married, but he didn't think it was that easy for him and Grimmjow. Not to mention that they were both men. They had yet to say that they loved each other. Ichigo didn't know if Grimmjow was there yet. Being together for six months was a long time, but they still had a long way to go.

"I don't think it's that easy for us, Inoue."

"Rukia told me that same-sex marriage is legal in some places in America."

"…Yeah, Grimmjow told me about that too. It's not where he lives though. It's fine, anyway. Marriage is a big step for anyone and if we even came to that decision I think we would rather just be together without the label." Orihime smiled, gazing at Ichigo. Even when he was so confused about his feelings she thought Ichigo was strong about it. He knew what he wanted and Inoue wished she could be that decisive.

"I agree! No one wants to be labeled!" she exclaimed, her fists pumping in the air. Ichigo snorted at her high spirit. "Now, how about some Kakigōri?"

"…Yeah, that sounds good." Ichigo felt Inoue grab his hand and he felt himself being pulled down the sidewalk by his overly excited friend. He listened to her giggle and he couldn't help but smile wide at her.

Inoue made her way to the sidewalk and stood at the curb, her hand pulling away from Ichigo's. They stood there waiting for the light to change and when it did, he heard Inoue rushing him. He could feel himself being left behind by the numerous people, but Inoue was walking a few feet in front of him. He sighed, scratching the back of his head and the thought of getting some shaved ice made him relax. It had been a couple of weeks since Grimmjow had been gone and he could feel himself worrying about things more and more. The conversation that they had had was still on his mind and he still didn't know what to choose.

Should he just go ahead and let Grimmjow pay for his eye surgery? Or should he just keep waiting and waiting until he had saved up enough money for it? He knew the longer he waited the more depressed he would get, but doing it on his own meant that he was being independent and that's what he was striving for.

Inoue smiled as she skipped ahead of Ichigo. She always enjoyed her time with the orange haired man. They had gotten so close since she confessed her feelings to him and she wished that she had done it long time ago. "So what flavor are you getting, Ichigo?" she asked as she turned around. Her body went rigid, her head turned halfway over her shoulder. She watched the silver sedan speed down the wide street and her slate gray eyes went wide. "Ichigo!" she screamed, her body turning fully towards him and everything seemed to be going in slow motion to her. She felt herself moving, running towards him, her voice at the top of her lungs. She didn't know what she was going to do, but she knew that she had to get him out the way of the car.

She watched the vehicle come closer and closer before it collided with Ichigo head on, as if not even seeing him. Her large gray eyes gazed as he went up and over the car, his head hitting the top and his body looking as if it was some kind of rag doll. She had to look away and she caught sight of the driver behind the wheel before it sped off, leaving Ichigo lying on the paved road.

Ignoring the driver, she quickly made her way over, dropping to her knees and screaming his name. She could feel the tears streaming down her face as she called and called for him, but he made no move and he didn't speak a sound.

"Ichigo!" She looked on, hoping he could hear her. "Someone call an ambulance!" she screamed. She slowly reached for him, softly pressing her hand against his bloody and dirty cheek. "...Ichigo."


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a song selection in this chapter the you may want to listen to, but it is not required. All music I have chose for this fiction is based off of the feelings of the story.

_[A Beautiful Piano Song - feat. Symphony Orchestra - Jervy Hou]_

_("Grimmjow…Gri-Grimmjow, please pick up. Please…")_

The lights in the auditorium were low, only the stage illuminated. The audience was silent, all listening to the music that was being produced by the orchestra. The melody from the piano was calming and the ears enjoyed how the harmony reverberated off the symphony hall's ceiling. The violin began to strum and everyone could feel their skin tickle and the hairs on the flesh rise. The pianist continued to press every note perfectly, the melody going straight to everyone's heart and igniting something inside them.

_("…Where are you, Grimmjow? Why-why aren't you answering your phone?")_

This was Grimmjow's time to shine. After only being in the orchestra for three months, he had persuaded Byakuya to let him compose the music for one concert. He wanted to show these people that he didn't only have to talent to play the piano, but to create amazing and earth-shattering music. If he nailed this his dream of becoming a composer would be one-step closer. He knew he could do it and when Byakuya had given him a chance he had quickly gone to work on creating a few songs to incorporate with the the night's regular schedule. He had been able to get one of the composers that worked at the symphony hall to help him, but most of the work had been done by him. He had researched and worked with the various musicians, making sure everything would come together perfectly.

_("…S-something bad h-happened. I-Ichigo…Ich-Ichigo…was hurt.")_

He smirked to himself when he listened to himself playing the song he had written. It always felt good when he could hear his own music. It was just like when he had written for Ichigo. The feeling of great achievement in being able to create something so beautiful and impressive was all he needed. He knew he was a confident person, but when it came to his music, he wanted it to always be perfect. He never wanted anything out of place and that's why he practiced so hard. That was why he strived to be open-minded about everything having to do with music. Whether it be tip, critiques, he took them all and turned it into something that could help him become better. He knew he wasn't the all-time best, but he wanted to be compared to the pianist and composers before his time. Mozart, Beethoven and even Ludovico Einaudi, were just to name a few that he hoped to be grouped with one day. He was still young, which meant he had a long way to go and lots to do, but he didn't mind. If it had to do with his music then he would do it. He would travel the world to play, to be able to compose and write.

He knew whatever he did; he would always have to thank his mom for being there every step of the way. She had never given up on him, even going so far as to push him harder. Doing that while trying to be a strict parent was hard for her, but she did it perfectly. He knew he could never thank her enough for being the perfect parent.

He frowned as his hands ghosted across piano keys. He had been thinking about his father recently, which was a shock to him. He never thought about that man, but after seeing how happy Ichigo was, talking about his own father, Grimmjow wondered about his own. He wondered why his father left. He wondered how he could leave his child and wife like that, without an explanation. He wondered if the man was just a dead-beat or if he had a real reason for going. Was he despised by his own father? Or was it that his father loved him, but hated his mother? Grimmjow didn't think he would ever know the truth, but sometimes he laid awake at night, wondering about it.

It had been hard growing up without a father figure in his life and sometimes he wondered if that was why he was gay. He knew that was a silly thing to think, but he had to figure it out all on his own. His mother never told him about the birds and bees, about what you were suppose to do to impress a girl. She never told him about anything pertaining to that and he usually got his information from other guys. Luppi had always been there too and Grimmjow had always saw the petite man as a woman so he never saw any problem with his thoughts. Before there was Luppi, there had been one girl, but he just couldn't find himself going any further with her or that kind of life. Don't get him wrong, he thought a lot of women were beautiful, but he didn't get that tingly feeling when he saw women. He didn't feel the urge to impress them, as he did with the guys. He guessed it was his downfall not to have some kind of manly figure in his life, but he didn't say that he regretted it. He had felt more relaxed about figuring out that he liked the same sex and he felt like he wouldn't be weighed down with false feelings.

He was glad that his mother had supported him when he told her. She had always been there for him and he had been worried that if he wasn't on the right side of the fence that all that support would disappear. It had only seemed to make him want to be more independent and do what he strived to, regardless of what people said or thought. He guessed that was why he was so worried about Ichigo having his own independence. He wanted the orange haired man to get back what he used to have and become his own person again. He wanted to see Ichigo in his normal element and that meant that he would have to pull away from the oranget. He could no longer be the person that kept him up on the seesaw. He would have to back away and let Ichigo do what he knew Ichigo could do on his own.

He had to let Ichigo listen to his heart, his soul and just choose his own path, whether it be right or wrong.

* * *

The sky was dark, the twinkling of stars hard to see in the city. Aqua eyes gazed up at the large sky, waiting for Hana to come around with his car. The young man had become his full-time assistant, but Grimmjow really saw him as a companion. He didn't like to boss the dark haired man around, but Hana did his job to a T and that meant whatever Grimmjow said.

It wasn't all bad though. They still hung out every now and then, Grimmjow even spending time with Ganju. They were really his only friends out there, including Ganju's sister, Kūkaku and brother, Kaien. It was kind of unnerving to Grimmjow that Kaien looked so much like Ichigo. The only difference between them was the hair and eye color. Their personality was spot on and Grimmjow feared getting to close to the dark haired man. The more he saw Kaien the more he thought about Ichigo and then he would become frustrated with himself.

He sighed and slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. He couldn't wait to go home and pass out on the bed. The night had made him utterly exhausted and he even felt himself falling over. He watched with tired eyes as his car pulled up and he quickly made his way inside.

"Are we going home, Grimmjow-san?"

"Yeah, Hana, home." He leaned back and slowly closed his eyes, feeling the vehicle start to move. He could hear Hana speaking to him quietly, telling him about all the things he had heard from Byakuya about his performance. He was happy that the stoic man had enjoyed it, but he couldn't show it at the moment. He was just dead tired.

"Have you talked to Ichigo-san today?" The blunet slowly slit his eyes open at Ichigo's name and realized that he hadn't. His day had been filled with practice after practice and then the concert. He had turned off his phone earlier that day because he would be scolded if his phone went off during any of that day's events.

"Naw, I'll call him tomorrow. He's probably up now, but I'm too exhausted to even say anything." Hana nodded, but said nothing else. Eventually they made it to the high-rise apartment and parked in the underground lot. The ride up on the elevator was quiet and Hana said his goodbyes when they reached his floor. Grimmjow rode the rest of the way up in silence, enjoying the soothing ride. Hearing the ding, he made his way out of the lift and down the hallway. Slipping his key into the door, he let himself into his home, locking the door behind him.

He quickly slipped his shoes off, throwing his keys onto the counter and making a beeline straight to the bedroom. He groaned, scrubbing his hands down his face and cracking his neck. Stepping into his bedroom, he started to pull at his tie, removing it an throwing it across the chair in his room. Next went the button down and then his pants, before throwing himself on the bed and feeling the softness under him. He didn't worry about slipping into the covers, knowing he would get hot throughout the night. He sighed and lifted his hands up and slipping them under his head. His eyes slowly began to shut close and before he knew it, he was a part of a deep slumber.

* * *

The day was new and the sun was already high in the sky. Grimmjow groaned, turning over to his side and curling his toes into the fluffy sheets. He slowly blinked his sleepy eyes open and gazed out into his bedroom with blurry eyes. The light from the sun brightened the entire room and he realized that he forgot to close his curtains again. A normal habit since he gained the floor to ceiling window in his room. He yawned and stretched his large body across his bed. Today was one of his off days and he was more than happy to enjoy it, maybe talk to Ichigo for a little while. He smirked at the thought of hearing that deep voice caressing his ears.

He slowly turned over and gazed out of the window before reaching for his cell phone. He frowned when he didn't feel it on the side table. Groaning, he slipped out of the bed and causally made his way over to his slacks and started to rummage through the deep pockets. Pulling out his cell phone, he noticed that it was still off. He sighed and pressed the on button, padding his way to the kitchen to figure out what he would eat for breakfast.

Setting his phone down on the counter, he made his way over to the refrigerator and started to search for ingredients to make him something to eat. Pushing aside a bottle of juice and looking through his drawer full of meats, he still couldn't find anything that would make his mouth water. Rising to a standing position, he closed the fridge door and sighed. It wasn't a good thing that he couldn't cook most Japanese foods. For some reason he wanted to eat something other than American food.

He heard his cell phone beep and looked over his shoulder. Making his way over, he reached for the cell phone and gazed at the screen, frowning at the large amount of missed calls and voicemails. He started pressing the keys and noticed that they were mostly from Orihime's cell phone and he wondered when he had put her number in there. He guessed Ichigo had told him to since the orange haired man had been spending a lot of time with her.

He sighed, pressing and holding the number one key on the phone to get to his voicemail. Putting the device on intercom mode, he dialed his password and listened to the automated woman speak about how many voicemails he had.

He listened to the first message, his frown deepening at the sound of panic and horror in the orange haired woman's voice. It sounded like she was crying and Grimmjow couldn't make much from it. He pressed the delete button and listened to the next message, only having the same reaction to the message left.

Moving on, he listened to Orihime crying over the phone before he felt his heart stop when she spoke Ichigo's name. The fact that something bad enough happened to the man to make Inoue cry was enough for Grimmjow to want to pass out. He could feel his hand shaking as he reached to go on to the next message. He noticed the messages was left earlier yesterday, which meant that he was almost two days late hearing them, by Japan's time standards. He was all ears, wanting to know what the hell had happened.

 _("Gri-Grimmjow, I-I don't know where you are, but I-I wish you would answer. I-Ichigo…there was an accident yesterday afternoon.")_  He continued to listen to Inoue try to hold back her sobbing.  _("W-we were out an-and Ichigo was…hit by a car. Grim-Grimmjow, I don't know if he's going to make it or not. We've all been at the hospital for the last two days waiting and hoping. H-he hasn't woken up yet and the doctors don't kn-know if he ever will…")_

Grimmjow's body was frozen and his heart felt like it had fell ten stories from his body. His ears were thumping with blood, but he could hear the woman's crying clearly before the call was disconnected and he heard the woman's automated voice over the speakerphone. Ichigo was in an accident? He had been hurt and Grimmjow was nowhere near the man. He could feel something inside him boiling with fear that Ichigo would never wake again and the thought of it made his heart burst open and flood with emotions he had been keeping inside himself.

Ichigo had asked him not to leave, that he wasn't strong enough to be there alone, but he left anyway. He had promised Ichigo that he would be all right. He had promised him that everything would be fine and that Ichigo could do this all on his own. Grimmjow's knees felt weak and his body collapsed on itself, dropping him to the tiled floor, his hands gripping the edge of the counter tightly. His sapphire eyes were wide as they gazed at the honey wood of the cabinets and he could feel the prickle of tears forming in the corners of them. How could this happen? Ichigo was supposed to be safe. He was supposed to be.

"He was supposed to be safe!" Grimmjow could feel the tears rolling down his face and his soul shattering at the thought of Ichigo not being okay. "…I have to be there," he mumbled to himself. "I have to." He lifted himself up and stiffly reached for his cell phone, ending the call. Ichigo was all that mattered at the moment and he would make sure he was there regardless of what happened.

* * *

"I apologize, sir, but the next flight to Japan is full. The one after that is not until tomorrow morning."

"You gotta be kidding me? I needed to be there yesterday. There's no way at all?"

"Unless someone wants to give you their ticket, then you will have to wait until tomorrow morning, sir." Grimmjow was in a fit on panic as he thought about what would happened if he waited another day to be near Ichigo. He lowered his head against the working woman's desk and she gazed down at him with a frown.

"This isn't happening," he mumbled, but the woman could hear him clearly. "I need to be there for him. I can't… I won't let him go without me by his side."

"Sir?" He glanced up and the woman's eyes widened as she gazed down into tearful blue eyes. She watched as he pulled away and before he could go, she reached for his hand. Looking at her, Grimmjow wondered what she wanted. "W-why don't you wait over there and I'll see what I can do, okay?" The blunet gazed at her with astonished and blurry eyes before nodding and seating himself in a chair near the entrance of the airport.

His body felt tired and he felt empty at the thought of losing Ichigo. The guilt in him was growing at leaving Japan in the first place after Ichigo begged him to stay. Was this a sign for him? He hoped, prayed that Ichigo would be okay. He knew the man was strong, but something like this could bring anyone down. He groaned, scrubbing his hands across his face. He wanted to call Orihime and get more information, but he didn't know if he could even deal with it. He didn't know if he could hear that Ichigo would never walk again or that he would never even wake up. He didn't want to hear that the oranget would be paralyzed. It was just something he couldn't hear without feeling even guiltier than he already was.

In the back of his mind, he was angry at whoever could just hit someone. His blood boiled at the thought and he wanted nothing more to find the bastard and skin him alive. He wanted to look the fucker in his eyes as he repeatedly hit him until the person's face was unrecognizable and leave the person to die in their own blood.

He felt his cell phone vibrate and he reached into his pocket, pulling the device out. He gazed at Orihime's name as the light on the phone blinked. He didn't know if he could speak to her right now. He needed to ready himself for this. He knew he was being cowardly for not answering, but he didn't know what else to do. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he pressed the call button and held the phone up to his ear, hunching his body over and looking down at the blue gray carpet.

"Gri-Grimmjow?"

"He-hey, Orihime."

"Thank Kami you answered! …D-did you get my messages?" Grimmjow shut his eyes tightly, trying to will away the tears that wanted to form.

"Y-yeah. Uh, I'm trying to get a flight out there right now, but my timing is bad, I guess. How, uh… how is he?" He listened to her take a shaky breath and his heart decided to thump a bit louder.

"Still no scenes of him waking up. The doctors said he might have suffered some brain damage when his head hit the car then the road. …I'm so sorry, Grimmjow. I should have been watching our surrounding more closely. I-I didn't think a car would just go when it wasn't even its turn. They just kept going as if they didn't just hit a person." Grimmjow could hear Inoue's quiet sobbing throughout their conversation and he couldn't blame her for what happened. He knew it wasn't her fault.

"It's not your fault, Hime. It's mine."

"What?" she sobbed and Grimmjow pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing.

"I should have…been there. I told him that he would be okay. He asked me to stay…and I just left. This could have been-"

"Grimmjow it's not your fault!" Grimmjow frowned, listening to Orihime. "You aren't to blame. Ichigo was doing so well, no matter how much he says he hasn't. He just misses you, that's all. He's been so independent and getting back to how he once was in high school. He wishes he could be by your side and that's what makes him sad and worried. That day…that day he was so happy. He had been talking about moving to America with you after getting eye surgery. He wasn't worried about anything, whatsoever and you made him that way. So don't you dare say it's your fault!"

The blunet was surprised to hear that coming from the orange haired woman. He never knew Ichigo had spoken to her about so much. "…Sorry, Hime."

"Just come home, he needs you here. Doesn't matter when you get here, just come."

"…Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

The flight took longer in Grimmjow's eyes as he was flustered the entire time on the plane. He couldn't relax a bit and when the flight attendant asked him if he wanted to sleep, he quickly refused. He wouldn't be able to sleep until he knew Ichigo was okay, until he saw those white eyes and gazed at that those lips smiling up at him. Ichigo needed to be okay, for Grimmjow's sanity.

The moment he touched down in Karakura, he immediately got a cab to take him straight to the hospital. Inoue had told him which one and he made sure to keep it locked in his brain. He sat in the back of the cab, his body jittery and his mind running with so many thoughts. The sky was dark and he had wasted another day not being beside Ichigo. Three days since the man was in an accident and he was nowhere by the man's side. The guilt was driving him insane and he would break any law to be there even quicker. He saw the hospital come into view and he started pulling out money, throwing it at the cabbie and launching himself out of the vehicle. He ran up the flight of stairs that were connected to the large hospital and he went through the sliding doors.

The smell of the cleanliness and the sterile white walls made everything come to a crashing realization that he was actually standing in a hospital. He was there to see his partner, the one person who had made life so much better. He was the one person that brought light to his life and he could see his world shattering at the idea of Ichigo not being in it anymore. His legs were weak, but he continued to make his way deeper into the hospital, seeing Orihime sitting there waiting for him.

He made her way closer and when she looked up, he could see the whites of her eyes were red, the normal happy gray orbs were dull with sadness and pain. The usually happy smile was upside down and he could see the worry wrinkles on her face. He frowned down at her and he watched her stand from her seat.

"Everyone is in his room." Grimmjow just nodded and followed her to where Ichigo was. Walking down the long corridors of white, he felt himself getting sicker the closer they got to their destination. It was getting harder for him to push forward and he didn't know if he could see Ichigo. He didn't know if he could look down at him in the bed, knowing that there was a possibility that that as the last image he would have of him. He stopped walking, leaning against the wall of the hallway. His eyes were tightly shut and he felt himself start to shake.

"Grimmjow?" He could hear her voice, but couldn't find it in him to even move. "Come on, Grimmjow. You have to see him."

"…I-I don't think I can." He felt dainty fingers on his chin and he slowly opened his eyes, seeing determined slate gray orbs.

"You have to." He stiffly nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat and continued to follow behind her. When they reached the room, he watched Orihime push it open and he didn't want to continue forward. His feet were rooted, but soft fingers gripped his wrist and he was pulled inside, the door shutting behind him.

He gazed at anyting but the bed in the room. Yuzu and Karin were huddled in a couple of chairs, a dirty blond haired man sitting next to them. Ulquiorra was there and he watched Orihime make her way over to him. Rukia stood next to them and when he finally looked towards the bed, he saw Renji gazing down at it. His eyes refused to look at Ichigo. He just didn't want to see the damage that had been done. He knew he would have to look eventually, but he just wasn't ready to do that. He slowly made his way over, his eyes lowered and gazing at his feet.

The side of the bed came into view and he could see Ichigo's pale and bandaged arm. Sapphire eyes slowly rose and he gazed at the elevated leg hidden under the blanket. Ichigo's body was mostly covered but he could see the wrapping of bandages across the man's torso. The more he gazed at the oranget, the more he could feel himself getting sicker. His eyes landed on the lifeless face, one of Ichigo's eyes covered with bandages as well as his the bright orange hair, some strands peeking through.

Ichigo looked as if he was slowly fading away and Grimmjow didn't think he could see the oranget like this for much longer.

"We're leaving, Grimmjow." The blunet quickly looked up seeing mostly everyone rise from their chairs. "The doctors told us all we could do was wait, so I feel it's only right to give Ichigo his space. You're here now, so I'm sure he will be fine with just you." The blunet frowned, but nodded, watching everyone make their way out of the room. Yuzu and Karin stayed a little longer before making their way out as well, the blond man following behind them. He glanced back, seeing Renji still seating in his chair, his eyes never moving from Ichigo's face. He cleared his throat and pulled up a chair to sit on the opposite side. The silence was painful, but he didn't know what he could possibly say. It was already hard for him to be civil sitting near Ichigo.

"...A shattered skull that may have given him possible brain damage. His body is covered with gashes and wounds, some deeper than they probably should be. His right wrist was twisted and his left leg broken in two place. And don't get me started on his face. …What the hell took you so long?" Grimmjow frowned, gazing down at his hands. He was wondering the same thing, but he knew he had no answer.

"Does that really matter? I'm here now."

"You should have always been here." The blunet looked up seeing Renji's russet colored eyes gazing at him with anger. "You shouldn't have left in the first place. If you were going to take Ichigo's heart with you, then you should have been next to him 100%."

"I have to live my life, Renji. Ichigo and I both knew what we were getting into when I took the job in America."

"…He trusted you," Renji murmured and Grimmjow flinched at the revelation. "He trusted you with everything so much that he put his life into your hands and when he needed you most, you left him."

"This isn't my fault, Renji."

"Oh no?" the red head said, rising from his chair. Grimmjow could feel the anger rolling off of the man before him, but he continued to gaze into Renji's eyes. "Is it a mere coincidence that the same person who Ichigo attacked at the summer festival was the one that ran him over?"

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed and he could feel his jaw tightening. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me. He was the one that attacked Ichigo! Orihime saw it with her own two eyes! You're fuckin' psycho ex-boyfriend did this!" Renji was roaring and Grimmjow was surprised that the man hadn't pounced on him yet. "This is all your fuckin' fault. If you had left Ichigo alone in the first place, none of this would have happened. You ruined him in so many ways."

"Wait a minute-"

You don't deserve Ichigo's love!" Grimmjow's eyes enlarged and they flicked back and forth as they gazed up into Renji's tearful eyes. He could see the man's chest rising and falling rapidly. "I've done everything for him! I was there for him since we were kids! And you, you get what should have been mine! You left him! You let some guy hurt Ichigo and I refuse to let you hurt him any longer."

Grimmjow rose from his chair, not enjoying the fact that he was being looked down upon. "Hold on, Renji…"

"Get out." Grimmjow frowned, glaring at the man.

"I'm not leaving. I flew here for a fuckin' reason and I'll be damned if I let you kick me out. Don't blame your cowardliness on me. If you had any fuckin' guts you would have confessed to Ichigo long ago," Grimmjow yelled before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I didn't come here to argue over this. I came here because I heard Ichigo was hurt and I care about him. I know I don't deserve him and I have never denied that, but don't fuckin' rub it in my face. And as for Luppi, I'll take care of that little shit myself."

Renji was still peeved, but he knew it wasn't the time to be throwing around blame. He could understand why Ichigo had fallen in love with such a man, but he just didn't want to accept it. He hated the fact that someone had hurt Ichigo in such a way and that person was tied to Grimmjow. "You won't need to. Orihime already filed a police report."

"It won't do any fuckin' good. His parents have money and they would do anything to keep him safe and out of jail. I have to take care of that personally." Renji frowned as he watched Grimmjow. "Just give me some time with Ichigo. …Can you?"

"…Whatever," Renji said as he made his way to the door. "But don't think for a second that this conversation is over. I still have shit to say to you." Grimmjow listened to Renji make his way out the door before he was left alone with Ichigo. He could hear the beeping of the heart monitor and he never heard it so loudly.

He snorted, rounding the bed and sitting on Ichigo's right side. "Shit…I know I don't deserve you. I wish people would stop rubbing it in my face." Lowering his head, he pressed his lips against Ichigo's bandages hand. "I'm so sorry for leaving, Ichigo. ...I'm sorry I got angry with you and that I wasn't there when you needed me. I hate to agree with Renji, but this is my entire fault. Luppi should have never gotten close to you and I hoped that you two would never cross paths."

He looked up, gazing at Ichigo's battered but serene face. If Ichigo never woke up, he would never be able to forgive himself. He knew no amount of apologies would fix this and even if he went after Luppi it wouldn't make Ichigo any better. He shook his head and lowered his face back down to the bed, his lips brushing against Ichigo's hand. He could feel the tears in his eyes falling and dropping to the white sterile sheets.

"I will make Luppi pay for this, whether it be with blood or his life. I won't let him get away with this." He slipped his hand into Ichigo's, softly squeezing it, wishing he could feel a squeeze back. Slowly pulling away, he gazed down at Ichigo's pale and broken body. He hated seeing Ichigo in such a way and it just fueled his anger. He knew when he saw those lavender eyes; he would explode with fury and fire until Luppi was laying fetal position and covered in his own blood. Maybe then, and only then would he be satisfied and his vengeance complete.


	19. Chapter 19

Grimmjow didn't have the urge to leave Ichigo alone again. It had already been a couple of days since he arrived in Japan and saw Ichigo in his battered and unconscious state. He had received numerous calls from Hanataro and Byakuya wondering where he was. It was unprofessional to up and leave without word, but it had been an emergency and he made sure to let Byakuya know. The man was upset, but of course he understood and there would be replacement until he was able to get back to America. Now that this happened, he didn't know if he wanted to go back. Ichigo lying there, pale and unresponsive made him want to drop his entire life and come back to Japan.

Ichigo would probably strangle him if he heard such talk, but right now all that cared was making sure the oranget was safe. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his eyes never leaving the closed eyelids on Ichigo's face. The doctor had come in to check on the oranget and Grimmjow had asked questions about the man's injuries. Most of them really weren't as bad as they looked and the doctor said from the scans that there didn't seem to be any signs of brain damage. Ichigo did have a concussion and that he didn't know how long the coma would last. It all mattered on how strong Ichigo's body and mind were.

Grimmjow asked about doing eye surgery while Ichigo was out of it and the doctor thought it wouldn't be right without consent from Ichigo. Also that it might be a shock to him and could make his condition worsen. Grimmjow figured that, but he wanted to be sure. He knew he could never do anything without asking the oranget first, but it was still an option.

Pushing himself up from the chair, he made his way towards the door and out of the room. Stepping out into the hall, he leaned against the white wall, his head thrown back. He was tired and overly stressed out. The nurses had asked if he would like to eat while he had been there, but he couldn't stomach anything. His body was churning with nausea and worry, weary from what was going on.

He thought about what he had said to Renji about seeking revenge against Luppi and it never strayed from his mind. The man would pay for what he did, but Grimmjow felt Ichigo came first. Luppi wasn't going anywhere and he could deal with the man at a later time. He had to ready himself for such a thing, knowing there would be consequences for his actions. This time he would have to think logically instead of running into it head first. If he killed Luppi, he would never see Ichigo again, no matter how much of it was the petite man's fault. The police were already looking for the dark haired man so he had law on his side, but the moment he spilled too much blood that would change.

"You're still here?" Grimmjow looked over when he heard Renji's voice. The man looked haggard, his fiery red hair down instead of pulled up in the usual spiky ponytail. The man looked as if he had just rolled out of the bed. He could see the tired lines and the dark circles under the dull russet eyes and knew this man was feeling almost as bad as he was.

"Uh, yeah. I was about to leave though. Gotta go take care of something." Grimmjow pushed from the wall and walked pass the red head, only to stop when a hand grabbed the sleeve of his sweater. He looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with Renji and he could see the conflicting emotions in the orbs.

"You're going to see your ex-boyfriend?" The blunet stared for a minute before nodding. "I'm going with you, then." The hand dropped from the sleeve and Grimmjow frowned.

"I don't think that's-"

"You're not telling me otherwise. I'm going with you. You need someone that will have your back and I care about Ichigo just as much as you do. Don't fuckin' deny me this, Grimmjow. You've already taken Ichigo from me; at least let me help you with this." He gazed into the determined eyes and sighed.

"Well, you better go see Ichigo, then. There's no guarantee that you are going to be able to see him after this. Nothing might not happen, but it's best to be safe then sorry. I'll be waiting for you outside." Renji nodded and Grimmjow watched the red head make his way to Ichigo's room, slipping inside. He guessed it would be a good idea to have Renji with him. He would have a way to get there without a problem and if he needed a witness, Renji would be the perfect person.

He started walking towards the exit of the hospital. He just hoped everything went smoothly.

* * *

Renji leaned against the door, gazing at the bed where Ichigo laid. This had become so emotionally draining and he didn't even know what to do with himself lately. Scrubbing his hands up and down his face, he slowly made his way over to the bed and sat down in the chair. He let his eyes slowly roam over the body of the man who had become his best friend so many years ago. He and Ichigo had always been inseparable, never letting any one ever get between them. Renji had thought it would always be that way, never thinking Ichigo would start to drift away from him.

He leaned his elbows against the soft sheets, burying his face in his palms. He couldn't believe he was thinking about such things at a time like that, but he had been thinking about it a lot. Grimmjow's words were rolling around in his mind and he realized that he was in the same predicament as Orihime. He had been so afraid of telling the man his feelings and now he had missed the chance to do so. He had missed a chance to be something more in Ichigo's life.

He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks and chuckled at the act. When was the last time he had cried? He really couldn't remember. He didn't know why he was really shedding tears. It was probably because he would never be with Ichigo. ...No, that couldn't possibly be the reason why. Was it because he had been such a coward? Probably so, but he had thought logically about the situation. Pulling his face away from his hands, he gazed down at the expressionless look on Ichigo's face. Maybe he was worried that Ichigo would never wake. He shook his head. He was being an idiot. Ichigo was much stronger than this and he knew he wouldn't let this get him down.

He sighed, wiping the tears from his eyes before running a hand through his hair. "Ichigo…" The rest of the words died in his throat and he chuckled at his inability to even confess when the man couldn't even hear him. He leaned in the chair, throwing his head back and groaning in frustration. "I don't understand why I can't just tell you. It's so much harder now than it was in high school, even though I know for sure that I'll be rejected." Rolling his head to the side, he gazed at the man's lips. The soft lips he had wanted to kiss since they were teenagers.

"Ichi, it's hard for me to say this, so I'm just going to let it out. I know you can't hear me, so I don't really expect an answer, but I think if I tell you, I can move on. Ever since high school… ever since high school, I've had a crush on you. I'm not sure how it came about, but I had to deal with my feelings for such a long fuckin' time. Even after finding out Hime's feelings for you, I became jealous, knowing that you would likely date her instead of me." He sighed, looking away from the man's face. "...I guess that's why I give Grimmjow so much shit, because he took, what I thought, should have been mine. I know I'm such a hypocritical person, saying all that shit before and I'm sorry for it."

He sighed, trying to will himself to continue. "But know that I still care about you, Ichigo. You will always be my best friend and if I can't have you any other way than being my friend is fine. I don't know if my feelings will change, but I will give you and Grimmjow your space. Just know that if he ever hurts you again, I won't forgive him. He's off the hook this time, but there won't be a second time."

He pushed himself up from the chair, staring down at Ichigo one last time, hoping for some kind of recognition. Realizing that it wouldn't come, he made his way towards the door, stopping for just a moment. "We're here for you, Ichigo, through it all, no matter what. Fight through this as you do everything else and come out the victor." Opening the door, he slipped out, not seeing the subtle twitch that Ichigo's hand made.

* * *

The inside of the car was tense as Grimmjow and Renji made their way to Luppi's apartment. Grimmjow knew the man probably wouldn't be there, but he'd rather check there first before having to deal with the petite man's mother. Luppi's mom was insufferable and even though he had spent time with her before, he didn't know how to deal with her. Not to mention, she was some kind of cougar. It was as if her own husband, that she claimed to love, wasn't enough for her. There had been problems with her trying to jump his bones numerous times and he didn't know if he wanted to deal with her at this moment in time.

"So tell me, Grimmjow. Why the hell is your ex-boyfriend so fucked up?" Grimmjow snorted, his eyes gazing out of the car window.

"My guess is as good as yours. He's always been a little on the crazy side. Luppi was a little more normal in high school, but when we got together it seemed his little mind became more deranged."

"So it was your fault." Grimmjow chuckled, thinking that it probably was his fault that Luppi had become some kind of psycho.

"I guess you can say it's my fault. He's only like this when I'm involved in some way."

"Uh…how did you know that you were into guys? I mean, were you always into guys?" Grimmjow's brow arched and he glanced Renji's way. He wondered what all the questions were about. Renji hated his guts and the mini interrogation was a little confusing. Grimmjow sighed, thinking that maybe it was Renji's way of trying to become friendly and it was only right to act the same way.

"I was into girls at first, but they usually didn't do much for me. Luppi was my first and only boyfriend. It's kind of hard to really see the difference since Luppi acts like a woman, but I knew that I liked guys the moment I gazed at a man's ass and my dick got hard." Grimmjow smirked when he saw the blush across Renji's face. "What about you? I'm assuming you like dudes, since you like Ichigo."

"…I think…I just like Ichigo. I'm not really…sure. I mean there are some guys that I think are hot, but they don't make me feel like Ichigo does."

"You're feelings for Ichigo are a little different than they would be for some random guy." Renji frowned, knowing that that was true. He didn't know if he really liked guys though. He had yet to see a man that made him feel that way. He glanced Grimmjow's way, assessing the man's profile. Grimmjow was handsome, but he really despised the man in some ways. "I think I know someone that you might like, but I'm not sure if it would work out. He's in America."

"I-is he American?"

"He's Japanese. His name is Kuchiki Byakuya." Renji's eyes widened and the car swerved a bit before he could get it back into the lane. "Holy shit, Renji! Chill the hell out! If you don't want me to set you up, just say so. Sheesh, tryna kill us both."

"S-sorry. D-did you say Kuchiki Byakuya?"

"Yeah…why?"

"T-that's Rukia's older brother."

"Rukia…" Grimmjow frowned, trying to remember who that was. He was getting just as bad as Ichigo with names. "…You mean the evil gnome girl?" Renji chuckled loudly at the nickname and Grimmjow smirked.

"Yeah, her. How the hell do you know Byakuya, anyway?"

"He's the director at the symphony where I work." Grimmjow looked up when he noticed they had finally made it to Luppi's apartment. The car stopped and the blunet sighed, trying to ready himself for whatever happened. "I guess we can talk about this later though." Renji just nodded and watched Grimmjow slip out of the vehicle. He did as well and leaned against the car door. "I'll be back in a minute…hopefully."

He quickly made his way up the stone stairs and into the apartment building. Walking down the long hallway, he tried to ignore everything else around him and focus on the matter at hand.  _Luppi._  Luppi was the thing fueling his anger. Luppi was the one that fucked up so much in his life and the one time he had happiness, Luppi was the one that wanted to take it away. He wouldn't let the man do whatever he wanted anymore. He wouldn't get away with it any longer and it was time for Luppi to get what he deserved.

He made it to the door and started banging his fist against it, not caring if it bothered the neighbors. After a while there wasn't an answer and he sighed, leaning his head against the door. He knew Luppi wouldn't be there, but he still was a little relieved that he wouldn't have to do this now. He still wasn't ready even if he knew he wanted to kill the petite man. It would be different if he had blind fury, but he had long enough to think rationally and that was what was screwing him over.

* * *

"Holy shit! When you said rich you were serious." Luppi's family was indeed wealthy, coming from old money. Grimmjow guessed that was why the petite man was so damn spoiled. "Are we even in fuckin' Japan anymore? This place is insane." They pulled up to the large iron gate and Renji stared at the guard that was standing next to it, his almost concealed weapon peeking out from under his jacket. He felt Grimmjow lean over him and his body went rigid when he caught the piquant and spicy aroma of the blunet. How could someone smell so good even after staying at the hospital for so long with only one change of clothing? Renji tried to clear his mind and think at the matter at hand, but Grimmjow was making it hard to even think straight.

He listened to the blunet speak to the guard before the gates were open and he was able to drive through, glad that Grimmjow had finally pulled away. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he could see how tense Grimmjow was. The man seemed to be having trouble figuring out what he was going to do and Renji could understand the second-guessing. The blunet had to weigh all his options and consequences for what he was about to do. He could tell Grimmjow didn't want to screw up his chances of being with Ichigo and that meant he would have to take it easy on Luppi.

"…Renji…I don't know what's about to happen, but I need to know that you have my back on this. You are going to have to listen to me if you want us both to come out of here without being in handcuffs."

"Yeah, okay." The red head pulled up to the front of the house, parking the car. Looking around, he noticed it was deserted, other than a beat up silver sedan hidden in the shadows.

"Call the cops and tell them that you found Luppi. I'm sure the police were here earlier and probably didn't find him, but with me here I bet he will come out of hiding."

"…What are you going to do?"

"Something that I am going to regret, but since Luppi is infatuated with me it'll be easy to keep him preoccupied."

"Don't tell me you are going to…" Renji looked over to see Grimmjow staring at him with a somber expression. "Ichigo is going to be furious if he finds out that you fucked Luppi." The blunet shook his head before leaning back against the headrest.

"If I play my cards right I won't have to fuck him, but that all depends on how long it takes for the police to get here. I know when I see him I'm going to attack him, but if it's in the fit of passion, no one will be the wiser."

"…Are you sure about this?"

Grimmjow frowned, shutting his eyes. An image of Ichigo lying in that bed flashed before his eyes and he knew he would have to get involved if he wanted Luppi to pay. He couldn't attack the man as he did Renji or he would be in deeper shit and he didn't need that right now.

"No, but it's all that I can think of." Renji nodded and Grimmjow stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. His mind was reeling as he made his way up the stone steps. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. His body felt stressed and he felt sick to his stomach, but he knew revenge was never as sweet as people said it was.

Lifting his hand up, he knocked against the door and waited for someone to answer. All he could think of was killing Luppi, murdering him and leaving his body for all to see. The thought of Ichigo dying because of his psychotic ex-boyfriend made him want to tear the petite man apart, but he had to remember to think logically. He had to remember that he was doing it the right way so that he could see Ichigo again, so that life could go back to normal, as if Luppi as never there.

The dark haired man would be in jail and he and Ichigo could back to their happy relationship. The door started to open and he watched one of the maids smile up at him.

"Grimmjow-sama, it's been such a long time. How are you?"

"I'm okay. Is Luppi here?" She nodded and made room for him to step inside.

"I believe he is upstairs in his quarters. You know where they are."

"Is his mom here?"

"She has stepped out for a moment. She will return shortly."

"Thanks. When she gets back, can you let me know?" The maid nodded and Grimmjow made his way deeper into the large home and up the grand staircase. It didn't matter how long he hadn't been there, he knew the place almost as much as his own home. He had been visiting the mansion since he was in high school and it had become his second home. The closer he got to Luppi's bedroom, the more he could hear his heart thundering in his body. He was nervous, but he was somewhat giddy at taking his anger out on the small man. He didn't know if he would be able to follow through on his plan, but if he could stall the man than that's all that mattered.

Finally making it to the door, he gazed at it, seeing the glow of light from under the door. He raised his fist, his fingers clenching tightly before he rapped against the door. At first there was no answer, so he knocked again. Luppi's muffled voice sounded from the opposite side, giving him permission to enter and he opened the door. Blue eyes watched the petite man run back and forth; throwing things in a suitcase and Grimmjow could feel himself smirking at the panicked look on Luppi's face.

Quietly closing the door behind him, he locked it and continued to watch the man. "Where are you going, Luppi?" The petite man jerked to a stop, dropping the clothing in his arms and snapped his head towards the door. His lavender eyes went large, noticing who was standing there. He didn't know if he should be relieved or afraid to see Grimmjow, so he just stood there, frozen.

Luppi watched Grimmjow stalk his way, the man's sapphire eyes sparkling with hidden emotions. He could feel his body shaking the closer Grimmjow got and before he knew it, he could feel the man's body heat against his. He craned his neck to look up, seeing the man loom over him with his intimidating aura. Grimmjow frowned and reached his hand out, letting his fingers softly ghost over Luppi's chin. "What's wrong? You look frightened. Did something happen?"

Luppi didn't know how to respond. Did Grimmjow not know about what happened with the orange haired freak? Maybe he had a chance to get Grimmjow back before the man caught wind of it. "N-no, nothing happened. I'm, uhm, I'm just shocked to see you here. I-I thought you hated me."

"…Hated you? Why would I hate you? I just have been stressing lately," Grimmjow responded calmly, taking a step forward, making Luppi back up. He looked over his shoulder to gaze at the suitcase. "Where are you going?"

"…Nowhere."

"Good, I would be hurt if you left me." The blunet harshly pushed Luppi up against the wall, slamming his hands above the man's head.

"I-I've missed you, Grimmjow," Luppi mumbled, wondering what was going on with the confusing atmosphere.

"…I bet." Leaning over, he let his lips ghost over Luppi's white skin, listening to the man moan. Grimmjow was utterly disgusted with himself. He could vomit at any second, but he tried to keep his hands to himself. He continued to remember why he was there. Slowly closing his eyes, he shivered at the image of Ichigo lying in the hospital, unconscious and pale. This was all Luppi's damn fault. He growled and slammed his fist against the wall, making the smaller man jump.

"Grimmjow!" Luppi reached his hands up, grabbing the blunet's hand and looking it over. "Be careful. Are you okay?" He sneered down at the dark haired man, trying to keep his anger at bay, but he was having a hard time. He acted before he thought and his hand pulled from Luppi's grip and wrapped around the slender neck, pushing Luppi against the wall. The man gasped, his small hands flying up to grip Grimmjow's around his neck.

"I'm  **far**  from okay. Did you really think I came over here to be lovey dovey with you?" Grimmjow could feel his grip tighten around Luppi's neck and the anger in him was slowly rising. The fire in his eyes were burning and making Luppi melt, lavender eyes widen even more and tears rolling down the frightened face. "I really want to kill you, Luppi, but I know that won't do me any good."

"W-wha-"

"Don't fuckin' speak. I don't want to hear another fuckin' word spill from your lips." Wild, sky blue eyes gazed down and Luppi couldn't do anything but sob in fear. He was so afraid that Grimmjow would kill him that he hoped someone would come to his rescue. "You thought you could hurt Ichigo and really get away with it? You must be the dumbest person on the face of the planet. You knew I would find out. You knew I would come after you, so why do it in the first place?" Grimmjow hissed, baring his sharp canines. "It wasn't going to bring us back together. The moment I walked out of your apartment you should have left it alone and moved on with your life."

"Luppi, dear! Momma's home!"

Grimmjow glanced over his shoulder when he heard the sickly sweet voice echo from behind the wall. Looking back down, he slid closer; his breathe ghosting over Luppi's face and his orbs gazing directly into the others. "I loathe your very existence and I can't wait for you to get exactly what you deserve." Grimmjow jerked his hand, making Luppi's head harshly hit the wall before pulling away. "Now, get yer ass up. We're going downstairs."

Luppi's head was throbbing as he slowly pushed himself up from the wall and made his way to the door, Grimmjow behind him. It was silent as he walked in front of Grimmjow. He didn't understand how the blunet found out it was him. He may have had a grudge over what happened, but it wasn't as if he could be connected to the accident.

"…You don't have proof that it was me," Luppi mumbled. "You're just going on your anger and are trying to pin this on me, Grimmjow. I love you; I wouldn't try and hurt you like this."

"Why is it that every fuckin' word that comes out of your mouth is utter bullshit? Seriously Luppi, I know it was you. Shit, two other people know it was you. First off, you shouldn't fuckin' drive your own car if you want to hit someone and secondly, you should hide yourself properly. Also, you should have gotten your car fixed."

Luppi's eyes went wide when he realized that his mother hadn't gotten his car fixed yet. When he fled from the scene his car looked as if he had drove into a pile of shopping carts. The beautiful silver body was dented and scratched. The front window was cracked, looking like spider webs and he distinctly remembered the blood that he didn't wipe off. He had thought that his mother was going to take care of it, but now that the evidence was out, what was he supposed to do?

They slowly walked down the stairs and Grimmjow smirked when he saw the petite man's mother standing there with a few cops and Renji. So the red head had come through for him after all and it seemed that Luppi's mother had her own agenda.

"Mommy? Wh-what's going on?" Lavender eyes were teary and wide as Luppi gazed at his mother's happy expression. The large smile on her face was frightening above anything else and he wondered just who was on his side. His feet stopped on the second to last step, Grimmjow still standing behind him and he realized that there was nowhere to go.

"Well, dear, I understand how much you love Grimmjow and I sympathize, but hurting someone is something mommy can't forgive. I've spoiled you for long enough, so I think it's time for you to understand the consequences of your actions."

"Bu-bu-"

"Now, now, mommy will be here for you every step of the way, but this is what happens when you break the law." Luppi watched as an officer stepped toward him and pulled him down onto the tiled floor. He was turned around and handcuffs were produced before he snapped out of his trance. He started to flail, not wanting to be taken away. The cuffs were put on and they started to drag Luppi out of the home.

"Antenor Luppi, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Kurosaki Ichigo. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"

"I didn't do anything wrong!" Luppi shouted and Grimmjow just gazed at the spectacle before him. It was all over. Luppi was probably going to rot in jail for a good amount of years. He groaned, feeling like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulder, but it still didn't do much for how he was feeling. He didn't know if Ichigo would ever wake up and if he did, he wasn't sure how well Ichigo would be.

"Grimmjow." The man looked up to see Luppi's mother gazing at him with a sad expression. He slowly made his way down the rest of the stairs and stood in front of her. "I apologize for how my son acted towards you and what he did to your friend." She outstretched her hand, smoothing it over Grimmjow's cheek. "He caused you so much pain. He's more crazy than I thought."

"I'm surprised it took you this long to see it."

She sighed and folded her arms across her breasts. "His father had always worried about him, but I ignored it. I guess he really was obsessed with you on an unhealthy level. I never thought he would try to kill someone though." Grimmjow just shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry about it…" The blunet looked up when he saw Renji talking on his phone. The man looked panicked, his russet colored eyes large. "Renji?" The man looked his way before looking away and turning his back to him. That wasn't a good sign and Grimmjow wondered just what the hell was going on.

"Would you guys like some tea?"

"No, no, we have to be going, but thank you for all your help. I seriously thought you would be on Luppi's side."

"…At first I was, but I couldn't keep spoiling him. It's time for him to become a man and take some responsibility." Grimmjow watched the red head make his way out of the home and he said his goodbyes, following behind. They both stepped out into the dark night, Grimmjow watching Renji remove the phone from his ear.

"What's going on?"

"…That was Orihime. She said something happened with…Ichigo and that we should get to the hospital."

"Is it bad?"

"S-she didn't say." Grimmjow sighed, the fatigue coming back. This was killing him to no end and he hoped that Ichigo would be okay. He had yet to breakdown, trying to keep himself strong for everyone else. People probably thought he should be holed up in a corner, crying his eyes out and though he wanted to, he knew it wasn't the time to do so. Ichigo's life was titter totting and he had to be strong until the last minute. He needed to be sane for as long as he could before he flew off the deep end into a pit of sadness.

Sighing, he looked up towards the night sky. He needed Ichigo to wake up and tell him everything was okay. He needed to hear that voice and see those white eyes to know that nothing would go wrong again.

His foundation was being taken from him and he needed that support before he started crumbling to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I so wanted to kill Luppi, but had to think logically. It wouldn't be a good thing if Grimmjow went to jail and also this makes you see how much Grimmjow has changed from before, where he would fly off the handle instantly (the scene where he almost killed Renji). He has come to realize that blind fury isn't always the right thing to do. He's becoming such a man.


	20. Chapter 20

Luppi couldn't stop his heavy breathing as he sat in the back of the police car. All he could think about was the betrayal of his mother. His mother had promised to protect him no matter what. She had said that she would keep him safe from any and everything that would jeopardize his future. But there he was, handcuffed and riding in the back of some public service vehicle. The coming and going of illumination from the lamps shined across his face as they made their way to police lock-up. He wouldn't tell them a thing. Nothing he did had been wrong. He had done what any lover would do.

Grimmjow was his and he failed to see how anyone else didn't notice that. Of course he was angry. He had said things that he didn't mean, like how Grimmjow wasn't good enough for him or how he could do better, but when it came down to it. Grimmjow was everything he could ever ask for. The man was strong and valiant, not giving a damn about what people thought about him. He was charming and godly and Luppi knew he would never find another man like him.

All he wanted was to have Grimmjow stay by his side, love him, but he guessed he had been asking for too much. The smell of saline was strong as the tears rolled down his face. Maybe it was a good thing for him to get away. He could figure out his life and what he wanted to do with it after he got out of prison. He knew he was going, regardless of how much he denied trying to kill the orange haired freak. He had told his mother the whole truth and he was sure she hadn't kept that information to herself. She had always been a blabbermouth. And her loose tongue was going to be what consummated his time in jail.

* * *

The brightness seared into his eyes like white heat, water pouring from his orbs. He wasn't sure if he was seeing or unseeing. Everything around was as blinding as beaming light and Ichigo wondered if he was in the afterlife. His body felt as light as a feather, a heavy life taken from him. Brain working perfectly, his muscles moved and his arm rose to the line of his sight. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had actually seen his own hand. Fingers flexed and wiggled, forearm turning so that he could see his knuckles that seemed to be missing from his memories.

Did he really have his eyesight back? Or was someone playing a cruel joke on him? Unknown colored eyes looked around, wondering where he had come from and where he was suppose to go. The place was void of anything and everything, not even feeling the soft waft of a breeze or the warm rays of the sun. He looked down, taking in his clothing of all white, his feet bare. A smile curled at his lips as he wiggled his toes, actually kind of glad to see them.

A soft melody oozed from the nothingness and Ichigo found himself looking around, his legs moving instantly, pulling him towards it. Legs went, right and left, one after another, but the world around him didn't seem to be moving. Maybe he was dead. Maybe it was his time to leave behind what he once knew. He couldn't remember what had resulted in such a happening, but he didn't think he should fight the feeling. The atmosphere wasn't threatening, keeping him calm as he followed the soft aria. It made him feel somewhat familiar and his legs quickened in pace.

They stopped dead when he noticed the large alabaster grand piano standing in front of him. It almost looked invisible in the sea of whiteness, but sitting on top of the lid was a large spray of blue floras hanging. Ichigo instantly smiled at the color and slowly made his way closer to the bench on the opposite side. He had a feeling that Grimmjow wasn't there, but the flowers gave him the sensation of the man's presence. Long fingertips ghosted across the white instrument, loving the smoothness under the touch. He missed listening to Grimmjow play the piano. It had been so long since he heard the man play and he wondered when he would be able to listen to the compelling compositions again.

Making his way closer, he froze when he noticed the man sitting on the white bench. Black nailed fingers slid across the obsidian and white keys, mimicking how Grimmjow would usually play. The hands were almost as white as the place and Ichigo's eyes slowly rose to take in the man's appearance. Long, strong white arms almost blended with the short sleeved white top and Ichigo wondered just who this man was.

"You wouldn't recognize me no matta' how much you tried ta'," the man spoke, his tone powerful, sending shivers down Ichigo's spine. "Though ya' once knew me."

"…Who are you?" The grin plastered on the man's face was frighteningly wide, but Ichigo wasn't worried too much about it. He cared about why the man hadn't looked his way yet, not even stopping his fingers from producing the lovely melody.

"I'm you…well kinda." The man craned his neck and Ichigo's orbs enlarged when he noticed the whiteness that enveloped the man's eyes. "I don't have a name, so I'm not sure what cha should call me."

Ichigo didn't know what he should say. The man looked identical to him, the opposite shade of course. He gazed into the depths of white and wondered if this was the way everyone saw him. They were passionately deep, looking almost endless. He couldn't see the difference from the pupil, the iris or the sclera, everything looking completely void of color. Had Grimmjow been staring into this for the past six and a half months? Ichigo swallowed the lump in his throat and watched the man look away, back towards the piano. He hesitated for a moment before sitting on the bench next to him. "W-Where are we?"

"Yer mind."

"My mind? But…it's so deserted in here." The man just hummed before he slowly pulled his fingers away from the piano. "Where is everything?"

"It disappeared. It used ta' be filled with a calm world, but things just slowly started to disappear…including my sight. I hope yer going to bring it all back."

Ichigo frowned and looked over towards the man. "How am I supposed to do that? I don't even know how it disappeared, let alone this place even existed before."

"It's yer fault it's gone in the first place. Yer mind changes with how you feel. Like this piano and the flowers sitting on top. You have Grimmjow to thank for that."

"Grimmjow?" Ichigo turned his attention back to the ivory piano and wondered if that was really true. The blue floras and instrument were what his mind created out of the memory of the blunet. "But what about everything else? Shouldn't that be around too?"

"It slowly started to disappear the moment you became blind. Yer mind couldn't see anything so it became blank. Grimmjow's been the only thing keepin' you happy and on yer feet that his presence is the only thing that is permanent in here. You should really fix that." Ichigo frowned, watching the white skinned man slide off of the bench. It sounded like he was depending on nothing but Grimmjow for everything.

"Ya are. You should start depending on yaself again, maybe this place won't be so deserted anymore and maybe I'll get my sight back."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that! It's damn hard living life without being able to see anything." The white haired man just chuckled and shook his head.

"Try living in a place where you are always lonely, no one or nothin' around, but whiteness. Not hearin' sounds or seein' a livin' creature yer entire life, then tell me if it's really that hard living without just yer sight."

Ichigo gazed at the white being, watching him disappear into thin air. He could never understand the feeling of complete loneliness, the feeling of having to live on your own without seeing a single soul. The feeling of his family and friends always surrounded him, but this person had to deal with the emptiness of his mind. This person had to deal with the changes he had to go through and Ichigo didn't know how to react to that. He had never known there was someone inside of him, feeling more depressed than he was.

The frown on his lips deepened and he wondered just how he could make it up to this guy.

"Hey!" Ichigo rose from the bench and started making his way towards where the man had disappeared. "Hey! Where did you go?"

"I'm right here." Ichigo squeaked, whipping around to see the man sitting on the ground and leaning against what appeared to be a wall. "Yer very jumpy. Ya never used to be that way."

"Sorry…kind of a habit after I became blind." He made his way over and sat next to the man, the confusion prominent on his face. "Tell me…why can I see and you're the one that's blind?"

"…I guess because you want to see so badly that yer mind created this illusion for you? I'm not sure. I just live here. And I'm blind because technically you still are sightless. Doesn't bother me, really. There's nothing to see in here, anyway."

It sounded kind of sad that this man was in here without someone to talk to. There was nothing much to do in there but play the piano. "How did I get in here in the first place?"

"Yer in a coma. It's the only place to go." Ichigo sighed in relief that he wasn't dead, at least not yet. He wasn't ready to die.

Time passed and Ichigo found himself asking question after question. Answers were received among other things and Ichigo didn't feel like he was ready to leave anytime soon. He wasn't sure how long he would be there, but the relaxed feeling was nice and being able to talk to someone who had been so close to him the whole time was nice. The man had told him about how beautiful it had used to be inside his mind. There had been a bright blue almost cloudless sky everyday, other than the times it would rain. The man had said it only rained when Ichigo felt upset or sad, but it didn't really happen as much as the man thought it would. Ichigo knew he had been moody for a while, but he was glad to know that there had been clear skies inside his mind.

Ichigo listened to the pale man talk about the green-grassed large hills. He had said they were a sign of how strong Ichigo used to be, how unfazed he usually was. It made Ichigo feel bad that the place was so flat now, not showing the strength he had used to have. There had been tall buildings that were a sign of his confidence and all over personality, varying in lengths and widths, but now all that was left was one lone white building that wasn't even visible. The man knew where it was, but he had said that it wasn't very large, showing just how much Ichigo had changed.

The oranget couldn't believe his lifestyle had changed his state of mind. He guessed it was really time for him to get back to what he used to be. Maybe he should take Grimmjow's advice and take the eye surgery. It was one-step towards his independence and one-step closer to getting this place back into shape.

"…Can I ever come back here?"

"It's yer mind, so ya can do whateva ya want."

"Will I see you again?"

The man glanced his way and Ichigo could see the utter shock on the man's face "…Pr-probably, just gotta look for me."

He smiled, glad that he had made a new friend, even if it was inside his mind. Something still bothered him though. "…Shiro…"

"...Wha?"

"You said you didn't have a name, right? How about Shiro?" The white skinned man snorted, leaning his head back against the wall. He never thought the day would come.

"What a convenient name. …But I guess it works." Ichigo chuckled and leaned his head down on his raised knees.

"Yeah, I like it too, Shiro…" They sat there gazing out into nothingness, not seeing the small pleat of green grass breaking through the whiteness.

* * *

Grimmjow and Renji had rushed to the hospital only to find Ichigo still in his vegetated state. The call from Orihime was nothing but a scare when she saw Ichigo's hand move and grip the bed sheets. Grimmjow knew it would be too good to be true that Ichigo would awake so soon. He was happy that there had been movement, but it wasn't enough to keep his fears at bay. A small twitch of movement did nothing to make him feel like there was hope. The only thing keeping him in a hopeful state was the thought of Ichigo wanting to be stronger. It only meant that the oranget would fight this tooth and nail, coming out the winner. It was a waiting game and Grimmjow didn't know how long he would have to wait until seeing Ichigo's smiling face again.

He sat in the corner of the hospital room, his eyes trained on the bed on the opposite side. Orihime had left, saying she couldn't be around the atmosphere and Renji was glued to Ichigo's side, where he should be. Grimmjow didn't really mind. His time with Ichigo would take place later. He was giving Renji his moment to shine, his moment to be the friend he had been struggling to be since he had walked into Ichigo's life. It wasn't that he was so calm that he didn't need to be by his side, but he felt if he huddled himself in a corner, he could hide his real emotions. The chain link around his heart was wrapped tight, pressing against the sides of the organ, putting a strain on him. He couldn't stand the tightness, but it was the only thing keeping him from spewing hot tears down his face.

His emotional state was something he was worrying about, never remembering himself being so intuitive with his feelings before he met Ichigo. A lot of things hadn't happened before he met Ichigo and he could see just how much he had changed in the past six months. His state of mind was different, his opinions and thought process. He took life so much serious now than he used to and he knew it was all influenced by Ichigo.

He looked up, gazing at the strained look on Renji's face. The man's heart was in pain, not just from the accident, but from the long time unrequited love. Renji had sacrificed his love just so he could continue to be the friend had always been. That took a lot of courage and Grimmjow felt bad about calling the man a coward. Renji had chosen the path he thought was right and put his own selfishness on the back-burner. He didn't think he would be able to do such a thing. Life didn't always give you second chances and he would rather be selfish than pass up such a opportunity like such. He sighed, realizing that he was just going to be even more selfish later on.

"…I'm taking Ichigo with me…to America." It was straight to the point, but Grimmjow knew he couldn't speak to Renji any other way. Though the man was quiet about some things, he was pretty straight forward most of the time.

Renji didn't react to the statement at first, but he had heard it. He knew Ichigo would be pulled from him eventually, but he guessed Grimmjow was better than anyone else was. "You think Ichigo is going to agree with that?"

"…He wanted me to take him with me...before this happened. I should have just said yes, without the hesitation. I regret that now, but I might feel more comfortable with him there with me."

"What about his sisters?" Grimmjow sighed, leaning his chin onto his palm and gazing out of the window into the night sky.

"He can visit them anytime he wants. I'm not going to keep him prisoner. I'm hoping he will get eye surgery before that though."

Renji frowned and looked over his shoulder. "Eye surgery?" The blunet glanced over before nodding. "You mean…to get his sight back?" Grimmjow nodded again and watched Renji turn his attention back to Ichigo. "…That would be good for him, I guess. It will certainly help him gain his confidence again." Grimmjow just grunted, not really wanting to say anymore. His body was aching something fierce with fatigue and he just wanted to pass out and bury his face in orange locks.

"Grimmjow, whatever you do, just take care of Ichigo. I know probably once he gets his sight back he will be himself again, but that doesn't mean he still doesn't need love." Renji glanced over, taking in the dazed look on Grimmjow's face. "…And you do love him, right?"

If that wasn't the question of the year. Grimmjow knew nothing about love, so he wasn't able to respond that with a certain answer. He guessed he did, but he wasn't ready to admit that out loud. "I won't let you leave here with him, unless you are able to give me a straight answer. I know what my feelings are, but are you that confident about your own? I've told you before, if you are playing with Ichigo's feelings, I'll never forgive you."

"…I'm far from playing," Grimmjow mumbled. "But I can't give you a straight answer right now. I'm not even sure of my feelings, let alone Ichigo's-"

Renji snorted, his eyes still trained on the oranget. "Ichigo is in love with you. If that ain't obvious then I don't know what else is. Ichigo would never stress over impressing you so much if he didn't hold you high in his heart. I don't know since when, but Ichigo is, in fact, in love with you."

That seemed to make the chain around Grimmjow's heart shatter and he could feel the lump in his throat rising. He looked away from Renji and cleared his throat. Pushing himself up from his chair, he made his way over to Ichigo's bed and stared down at the unconscious man.

"R-Renji, ya think you can leave for the night. I want to spend the rest of it with Ichigo…alone." Grimmjow was surprised he was able to speak that sentence without a crack in his voice. He could see the man gazing at him in the corner of his eyes, but he didn't want to hear Renji giving him shit. He could already feel the tears wanting to spew from his eyes, so the best thing to do was to keep them lowered. He heard the man speak, but he wasn't listening.

Renji could tell something was different and it would be right for him to give Grimmjow and Ichigo their time. He had been hogging it enough and he knew when it was time to get. He pushed himself up from the chair and calmly made his way towards the door, keeping his eyes trained in front of him. He could hear the subtle creak of pressure being put on Ichigo's bed, the shuffling on crisp white sheets.

Pushing his hand against the door, he took one last look behind him, only to see Grimmjow cuddled up next to Ichigo, his body lazed, though it was shaking. Blue hair contrasted next to the white bandages with orange hair peeking through and Renji realized that he had received the answer to his previous question.

Grimmjow was, in fact, in love with Ichigo.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a song selection in this chapter the you may want to listen to, but it is not required. All music I have chose for this fiction is based off of the feelings of the story.

Quiet humming filled the wide white corridor. The nurse dressed in alabaster softly smiled as she made her way down the hallway of ashen tiles. Her deep gray eyes gazed down at the tray of food in her hands, figuring that it was a good idea to give it to a man in need. Her job wasn't that hard, but it seemed to get quite exciting over the last few days. She frowned, maybe exciting wasn't such a good word to use. It was more like interesting. The orange haired patient she had been attending to still hadn't woken up, but every time she stepped into the room, a blue haired man would be there. The man's eyes were always trained on the oranget and she wondered what their relationship was, that is until the morning when she stepped into the hospital room to find him cuddled up next to the unconscious patient. She had never been around a homosexual couple, but she didn't seem as freaked out about it as she thought. In a way she thought they were adorable and she felt bad for the blunet.

He had not left the hospital, sleeping in the chair or bed whenever he was tired. The man was pale, his blue hair dull and laying limp, while his eyes were gone of any sparkle. She worried about his health, since he wasn't really getting a decent sleep or even a decent meal. Sometimes he would refuse the food that the nurses would try to give him and she guessed she could understand. The man looked as if he was in turmoil and his stomach was probably tied up in knots.

She didn't want to have to take matters into her own hands so she hoped the man would eat today. Sighing, she pushed the door open and she instantly saw the large back and head full of unruly aqua hair. She didn't feel the need to disturb him and quietly made her way inside. It had to be hard dealing with all of what was going on and the nurse figured if she could lighten the man's load than she would do just that. She grabbed the bed table and rolled it over towards Ichigo's bed, making sure to situate it above. The food tray was set down and she gazed at the sleeping faces of the men in front of her. They both looked so vulnerable and calm, making her smile just a bit. It was hard to feel happy with what was going on with the orange haired man, but she hoped things would get better for the both of them. She reached for a napkin she had placed on the tray and pulled a pen from her dress. She started to write a little note, hoping that the blue haired man saw it. Setting it back down, she took one last look before quietly excusing herself from the room and leaving the two men alone again.

* * *

The beeping of the heart monitor was much louder to Grimmjow as he sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at the food. His mind was exhausted and his body was tired, no matter how much sleep he had recently received. It wasn't enough to rejuvenate his soul and keep his body awake. The man laying next to him coupled with his confused feeling about their relationship was only weighing him down and stressing him out. He had spoken to Ichigo even though he knew the man wouldn't hear him. The soft whispers in Ichigo's unhearing ears, the subtle touches, hoping he would awake. Hope was the only thing keeping him from screaming into the quiet room. It was the only thing keeping him from leaving and flying back to America.

He knew he wouldn't be able to go back unless he was sure Ichigo would awake. Playing the piano wouldn't be the same, and the guilt and heartache hanging over his head would only make him not want to ever look at a piano again. Grimmjow didn't care if a week or a month passed, he would not leave Japan until he was sure Ichigo was alive and healthy again.

"You better eat." Grimmjow looked up, not realizing that the nurse had stepped into the room. Sapphire eyes glanced back at the tray of food, his expression somber. "I brought it for you, since I noticed you haven't really left this room for a few days."

"…'m not hungry." Indeed Grimmjow wasn't. He knew if he even tried to put something in his mouth it would just come right back up. His stomach churned with worry and doubt, making him feel dizzy.

"Doesn't matter. You look sick as a dog and I refuse for you to get worse on my watch. I may not be your nurse, but I won't let  **him**  see you like that when he wakes up." Grimmjow's eyes enlarged and glanced back up towards the silver haired nurse. Her large deep gray eyes held worry and a speck of determination on making him eat. "Also if you don't eat, I'll have to call Unohana-sensei down here and she is not to be messed with," she continued with a smile and made her way over to the bed, her hands inside her pockets. Pulling them out, she reached for the cover and pulled it off of the large tray of food. "Go on, I guarantee it will help your nausea and make you feel a bit better."

Grimmjow looked down away from her eyes and gazed at the smorgasbord of food. He wanted to chuckle as he eyed the grilled fish, miso soup, jasmine rice and bowl of fruit. She seemed to be feeding him an entire meal instead of something to soothe his stomach. "Uh, I'll try, I guess."

"Good! When I come back I want it to be empty." Grimmjow nodded and waited for the woman to leave before picking up the pair of chopsticks. She was right about the fact that he didn't want Ichigo to see him looking like a zombie when he woke up. Grimmjow wanted to look healthy, as if he was taking care of himself the whole time. He could tell Ichigo about how he wasn't, but it would be better if he didn't stress the orange haired man out.

He sighed as he picked at the food, his mind trailing back to what Renji had said a few days ago. Was Ichigo really in love with him? Was he even in love with Ichigo? It was so hard to understand something that he pushed away for such a long time. Love was a strange and confusing feeling and he didn't know how he would be able to tell.

Ichigo was above everything else in his life and he had never felt like that about anyone. Of course his mother was number one, but the love he had for her was incomparable. It was the same with Ichigo, but in a different sense entirely. He felt like he couldn't breathe if Ichigo wasn't there. He had thought his life had been complete before, but now that Ichigo was around, he realized that his life had been far from perfect. They were more than lovers were, Ichigo becoming his best friend, his rock and the feeling of losing that hurt more than losing his music.

He looked over his shoulder and gazed down at the sleeping orange haired man. The soft plains of the man's calm face were beautiful and even though he looked as pale as a sheet, Grimmjow couldn't take his eyes off of him. Ichigo was beautiful through and through, right down to his soul and Grimmjow could see how someone could fall in love with such a man. He could understand Renji's frustration of not being able to capture such an outstanding creature. He could understand Orihime's feelings of wanting to be there for him every step of the way.

He was starting to understand his feelings more clearly, realizing that there was so much to Ichigo that he adored. Grimmjow had yet seen the side of the oranget that everyone else had seen before the man's blinding accident, but that didn't matter. He was sure he would love that part as well, but he had fallen in love with the Ichigo that everyone was having a hard time dealing with. Though it was tragic, the blindness had brought out a part of Ichigo that no one probably would have ever seen before. From Grimmjow's perspective, the man was selfless, but at the same time selfish about his own feelings. He wanted to make other people happy before his own happiness, but when it came to it, he made sure to put in 110% of effort. Ichigo was a dynamic person, almost as if he was two people at the same time and Grimmjow adored that in a way.

Setting his chopsticks down, the food still untouched, he leaned back down, letting his body practically cover Ichigo. His face was buried in the soft orange locks and he breathed in the unique aroma of the oranget.

"Hey, Ichi," he whispered, rubbing his face through the man's hair. "I know ya probably can't hear me, like every other time I've talked to ya. But…I just want to let you know that I'm here. I'm right here next to you, waiting with bated breath. I don't know what's going to happen when you wake up, but it doesn't matter because I'll still be right there beside you." Grimmjow could feel himself choking up with emotions, but he refused to cry at a time like this. He took a deep breathe and pulled away, gazing down at the closed eyes. His lips pressed against them before nuzzling the man's nose with his own. He could feel it swelling up inside him, the feelings that have been growing since he met the orange haired man.

Burying his face into the pillow next to Ichigo's face, he took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. His lips ghosted over the man's ear and he said the words he never thought would ever spill from his lips.

" _I love you, Ichigo."_

* * *

Ichigo eyes widened when he heard the deep but soft whisper penetrate through his inner mind. He had been hearing Grimmjow speak to him for the last couple of days, but he had never thought he would hear those very words said to him. Looking down, he gazed at his fisted hands, his heart bursting with joy at the confession. The man's voice had been quiet, but deep and powerful, letting Ichigo know that he was sure of the confession, he was sure of the words he had just spoke.

"Tch, figured he would tell ya soon. I was wonderin' what was takin' so long." Ichigo looked up when he heard Shiro's voice and wondered what he meant. "Don't tell me ya couldn't see it? Ya guys are practically lovey dovey all da time. I could even see the feelins' and I'm blind."

Ichigo smiled and looked down at the white piano before him. His fingers ghosted over the keys, softly pressing a few. He did love Grimmjow and he wondered if the man already knew that. It seemed the man's presence near him was making him stronger and his inner world was already starting to change for the better. While walking around with Shiro, Ichigo had noticed that color seemed to be coming back to his mind. It was a very small patch, but that was better than the complete whiteness. He just hoped that he could bring it back to how it used to be and make Shiro happy. He needed his strength again, his will to fight like he once had.

Grimmjow had been his crutch, but also the very person who was giving him the determination to get back to his usual confident self. He could never thank the blunet enough and he hoped that his love would be enough to suffice. His orbs glanced over to see black nailed fingers pressing against the piano keys and he realized that he had to thank Shiro as well. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't have known how affecting all of this was.

"No need ta' thank me. We are one in the same. I'm just the cooler part of you." Ichigo snorted, softly punching Shiro in the arm, making the pale man smirk.

"I'll be taking that part back, very soon." Shiro chuckled and his hands began to press against the keys, producing the heavenly music that Ichigo loved so much. He wondered how Shiro even learned how to play, or if he was even actually playing at all. Was it just another projection of Grimmjow? Or was it something more? He wasn't sure, but he knew every time the white haired man played, he would get a tingly feeling inside him. It made him miss Grimmjow that much more. Even if the man was right beside him, he couldn't reach out and touch him. He couldn't kiss those lips or feel those hands on him. His sultry voice wasn't enough and it made Ichigo want to break free from this place. It made him want to shatter the walls holding him there, just so that he could feel Grimmjow again.

He looked up and over to gaze at Shiro. He felt bad for him, not being able to break free from such a place. He could visit him, but he knew it wasn't the same as being free. He wondered if such a thing was even possible for his carbon copy. He snorted to himself, seeing that his thoughts were sounding crazy. Shiro was a figment of his imagination and that's where he would stay.

Shiro just smiled at the thoughts rolling around in Ichigo's head. He had never said he was trapped in the place, only that being there was lonely. He was free to do as he pleased, but he pretty much enjoyed being near the orange haired man. Ichigo would one day realize that Shiro was way more than just some an elaborate imagination.

* * *

**Six Weeks Later**

Grimmjow couldn't believe he was sitting there, his aqua eyes deadly glaring at Luppi. The hatred inside him for the dark haired man had yet to decrease and he knew that the only reason he was there was to give Orihime his support. Ichigo was still unconscious so he wouldn't be able to testify at the trial, but Inoue was healthy and her mind was strong, remembering everything that happened down to a T. Grimmjow was a witness as well to corroborate the fact that Luppi was indeed dangerous and sane enough to go to jail.

Luppi's lawyer tried to state the fact that Luppi was distressed which brought on some kind of psychological illness, basically saying the petite man wasn't fit enough to go to prison, but Grimmjow knew that was a load of bullshit. Luppi was so obsessed with him that he figured killing someone would make everything perfect again. It was a crazy idea, but it wasn't crazy enough for Luppi to be dropped of all charges because he was deemed insane.

The prosecutor, the very person that was going to bring Ichigo justice had a solid case and enough evidence to make the jury see just how long and hard Luppi had been thinking about the plan to kill Ichigo. The man's best friend even testified, resulting in Luppi trying to attack Loly in the courtroom. Luppi's mother had had the most compelling evidence that Grimmjow thought had been so stupid on the small man's part. The voicemail left by Luppi on his mother's cellphone stating that he had in fact attacked Ichigo with his silver sedan, resulting in the oranget now being in coma.

The events being talked about over and over was enough for Grimmjow to want to slam Luppi to the ground with his own hands, but he stayed in his seat, keeping his emotions wrapped up inside.

When Luppi went up to explain his side and answer questions, those lavender eyes never strayed from Grimmjow's azure ones. It was as if Luppi was asking for help, asking for one last chance and the blunet wouldn't even give him that kind of hope. He made sure that his blue gems showed how much he loathed Luppi, how much he would never forgive him for what he had did, and if Ichigo never woke up Grimmjow would haunt the petite man's dreams for the rest of his life.

Every word spilling from Luppi's lips was making Grimmjow boil with anger inside. He had no right. Luppi had no right for what he did, and Grimmjow hoped the jury could see just how fucked up the dark haired man was.

The trial didn't take long, a few days before the jury came to a guilty verdict and Luppi was sentenced to fifteen years without parole for attempted first-degree manslaughter, and in the event that Ichigo passed away that sentence would be twenty to life. Fifteen years wasn't enough in Grimmjow's eyes, but he guessed it was better than just sending Luppi to a psychiatric hospital for the rest of his life.

So there Grimmjow was, leaning against the wall of the courthouse waiting for Renji and Orihime. They decided that now that that nightmare was over it was time to try to settle themselves down. All that was left was to wait for the fate of Ichigo's life and then things would go from there.

"Grimmjow," the blunet heard a soft voice say. He slowly opened his eyes to see Inoue standing in front of him, Renji right next to her. "We're ready if you are." He just nodded and they started walking down the sidewalk towards the small noodle shop at the corner. Grimmjow hadn't been eating much, but his stomach had been growling up a storm inside the courtroom and Orihime had insisted that they get something to eat afterwards.

They had yet to let him go see Ichigo, saying that he needed some time away from that sterile place and that his health was just as precious as Ichigo's. He didn't want to agree, but they were right and he needed not to be so glued to such a place, no matter how much he wanted to stay by Ichigo's side.

Lunch was quiet other than the soft chatter between Renji and Orihime, Grimmjow keeping his thoughts and voice to himself. He used his chopsticks to stab at a piece of meat floating in his udon, unconscious of the large slate gray eyes looking his way.

Orihime had been worried about the blunet, her heart practically going out to him. She could understand how much he was hurting and how nothing seemed to make him feel better. She felt it would probably be best for Grimmjow to leave, but she knew the man wouldn't do such a thing without bringing Ichigo with him. It was kind of sad that Grimmjow would be taking Ichigo away, but she guessed it would be good for the both of them. They had both found happiness in each other and it was right for them to be together wherever they pleased.

"So Grimmjow, how do you think life will be once you get Ichigo to move with you to America?"

"…I don't know, better, I hope. It's a big transition from Japan to America, but I'm sure Ichigo will be strong enough for it."

"What about his sight?" Pressing his lips together, he wondered about that too. It wasn't like Ichigo had denied the surgery, but there was no telling what was going to happen when he woke up. All plans of travel might be on hold if damage had been done to Ichigo and Grimmjow knew he wouldn't be able to stay in Japan forever. He still had a life in America, a job to get back to and he had promised Ichigo that he wouldn't let that opportunity waste.

"Regardless of his sight, I'm bringing Ichigo to America with me. It doesn't matter how long it takes, I'll wait until he is ready. I won't just push him aside. He at least deserves that much," Grimmjow responded, making Renji frown. Slipping a vegetable in his mouth, he thought about that little statement. So Ichigo deserved to be pull away from his family and friends because of how selfish Grimmjow was being? It really was a selfish request, but he wondered if he would do the same as well. Renji sighed, seeing how he was trying to turn Grimmjow's words just because he was angry. He knew the blunet did not intend to keep the oranget away and he just needed to realize that he really had no chance with Ichigo.

"…I just hope he wakes up," Renji mumbled, making Grimmjow and Orihime look his way. Of course everyone was thinking that and it just made the situation that much more depressing. The scary question that was rolling around in Orihime's mind was; if Ichigo didn't wake up, what would Grimmjow even do with himself?

* * *

Grimmjow stepped into the dark room, gazing out into it before flipping the switch on the wall, illuminating the room and closing the door behind him. He heard the soft mewing coming from the floor, but ignored it completely as he pulled at his tie. It had been a long day; even longer since he hadn't went to see Ichigo at all. It was itching at his nerves, but he needed a day away from the hospital and hopefully a good night sleep. Unbuttoning his shirt, he started to make his way deeper into the oranget's room, the place having a lingering scent of mint and chocolate.

_So much like Ichigo._

He padded over to the man's stereo system, pressing the ON button. He listened as the electronic started to function, filling the room with sounds of discs moving and music starting.

_[Fairest of them all (#) by Kämmerer]_

Standing in the middle of the room, he gazed at the objects that reminded him so much of the oranget. The tall bookshelf filled with leather bound literature, some of them in Braille so that he can still read them. Music and art magazines lay haphazardly off to the side on the floor next to a pile of kitty toys. The colors of the room always stayed neutral, Ichigo refusing to remove any color from his life even though he could no longer see any of it.

He let his white button down fall from his upper body, the music from the speakers filling his ears and drowning out everything else entirely. His feet moved and he threw himself onto the bed, burying his face into the soft pillow before feeling the pads of tiny feet on his back.

"Pantera…you're so needy," he grumbled. She just purred, walking in a circle before lying herself down on the middle of Grimmjow's back. All that was missing was the head of soft orange locks, the tan, lithe, muscular body, the unseeing white eyes and the vibrant smile. He sighed, pushing his face deeper into the pillow and yelling out his frustration on life. None of this was fair for him or for Ichigo. The oranget didn't deserve what had been bestowed on him and Grimmjow didn't care if that was how fate worked, it was still a load of utter bull. Ichigo didn't deserve to be treated as life's punching bag. He didn't deserve losing his parents, the accident that caused his blindness or the actions of the blunet's crazy ex-boyfriend.

Turning his head to the side, he gazed out into the room, trying to figure out what was going to happen now. He knew Ichigo wouldn't come out of this fully healthy, it just wasn't logical. He could ask for a miracle, but those only were a dime a dozen. He would give anything for a good fortune to come his way. An arm, a leg, his soul, just to know that Ichigo would be healthy again.

He slowly closed his eyes, only to flinch when he heard the slamming against piano keys at the end of the song. He guessed all musicians had to let their frustration out in some way. He just didn't realize something would be recorded in such a way. Sighing, he slowly closed his eyes again, letting his mind become free of everything, hoping he could get some sleep. He enjoyed being around Ichigo, but the thought of awkwardly sleeping in that hospital bed made him even more exhausted. His breathing started to even out and his body instantly relaxed, drifting off into a relaxing and deep slumber.

After a good six or seven hours of sleep, the sound of a constant beeping noise made Grimmjow groan, his body trying hard not to wake up. Blinking his eyes open, he could see the rays of sun shining through the small window in the room, the warmth heating against his side. He realized the noise was his cell phone, but he couldn't be bothered with it at that point in time. Sleeping in Ichigo's bed had been amazing and he needed a few hours more before doing anything civilized. He listened to the loud purring and mumbled a string of curses towards Pantera, but she could careless how loud she was. She was intent on waking Grimmjow up completely and she would get the job done.

All of a sudden there was a loud thump, sounding as if something fell to the floor and it jerked Grimmjow out of his sleep, his eyes now fully wide and unfocused.

"The fuck was that," he mumbled, scrubbing his hand down his face.

"Grimmjow!" The blunet's eyes narrowed, gazing at the closed door of the oranget's room. There was loud footsteps coming towards the door and his name being shouted again before watching it being thrown open and a disheveled Renji stood in the entryway, his hand gripping the doorknob.

"…What is it, Renji? You woke me up."

"Nevermind that! The hospital just called! Ichigo's awake!" Grimmjow's aqua eyes widened and his upper body lifted up from the bed, Pantera toppling over and rolling to the sheets. "Hurry your ass up and get dressed!" His eyes watched Renji disappear and he sat up fully, raising his thump to his mouth and biting at the skin.

Ichigo was finally awake. His lips turned up into his normal smirk and he felt a weight in him flutter away. He knew he couldn't be too happy yet, but that news was better than what he had feared, and he hoped there was nothing else more to fear.


	22. Chapter 22

The sky was dull and the sun missing from up above. If it wasn't for the heat, no one would think that it was summer. Light showers drizzled down, sliding across the window of Renji's car. Cerulean eyes gazed out, the beating of Grimmjow's heart racing as he sat in the passenger seat. The other cars drove pass them, going the opposite direction as they sat stuck in the torturous traffic. Grimmjow knew God had to be punishing him for some reason, because he wouldn't have made him wait for this moment if that wasn't the case. He was trying to rush fate as if it had a fast-forward button, the idea of Ichigo being awake still not sinking into his mind. He needed to actually see it, view the proof with his own blue eyes. It had been weeks since he had seen Ichigo in a conscious state and he just couldn't wait any longer. Aqua eyes were wide and frantic, gazing out directly in front of him.

It was taking too long to be able to see those endless white pools, to hear that deep and strong voice. And it was taking far too long to see that smile, to kiss those lips and feel them kissing him back. Sighing, he slowly ran his sweaty hand through his hair, feeling it shivering slightly, just as much as his legs were shaking and his heart beating rapidly. He was nervous. He could admit that this situation was scaring the shit out of him, more than anything else had. Ichigo had done something to him and he couldn't find it in himself to be cool about anything that revolved around the orange haired man. God damn his nerves. God damn his state of mind and the fact that he was freaking out. His mind was racing at the million of things that could have gone wrong throughout the time after the accident.

What if Ichigo wouldn't be able to walk again? What if the brain damage had been more severe than they previously thought? But the worst thing that was going through Grimmjow's mind was; what if Ichigo didn't remember him? Months and months of dedication and cherishing moments gone down the drain, making him not be able to live with himself. It made his heartthrob and his chest grow tight at the idea of this all being his fault. He couldn't live with the guilt and heartbreak of Ichigo not ever remembering his family and friends, not being able to remember their good times together or the special and intimate times they shared. The thought of having to create new memories to override the hidden ones or that Ichigo wouldn't want him anymore was just too much to bear.

His eyes widened a bit more and he covered his hand over his mouth, hoping it would stop the bile that was threatening to rise. The wasn't something he could even bear. The thought of Ichigo not wanting to be with him hurt more than he thought it would. The love he had for the man wouldn't be accepted, the memories of what they had would be forgotten and Grimmjow would be just as alone as he was before.

If it came down to that, he didn't know if he would be able to handle it. He would disappear from everyone's life, as if he had never even existed.

* * *

Renji could tell Grimmjow was a nervous wreck. The man's body was quivering and he could see the perspiration forming on the man's skin. The red head couldn't blame him. It was stressful just pulling into the hospital parking lot. The thought of what Ichigo was going through was enough to make him just as nervous and he didn't know what the outcome would be. He had called Orihime and Ichigo's sister's to let them knew that Ichigo was awake and he hoped they would keep him calm when they got there.

Renji found a parking spot and started to pull into the area slowly, turning his car off and leaning back into the chair. He had thought Grimmjow would launch himself out of the car before it even rested to a stop, but there Grimmjow was, stiffly seating in the passenger seat. His body was rigid, almost looking completely petrified.

"Grimmjow?" he mumbled, but the man did nothing to respond. Renji was starting to worry and he reached his hand out, poking the blunet in the arm.

"…What-what if he doesn't remember me, Renji?" Grimmjow said, his eyes still trained in front of him. The man's voice was filled with confusion and anguish. The red head gazed at Grimmjow, his lips turned down. He knew it wasn't the time to be smart, saying that he would finally get his chance to be with Ichigo. He actually felt bad for the blue haired man. Grimmjow really did love Ichigo and Renji could understand what the man was going through.

Looking away, he sighed, his russet eyes glimmering with unshed tears. This situation was so depressing. But he knew he had to be strong, especially if Grimmjow was going to start breaking down. "…Ichi would never let himself forget about you. I haven't seen him so happy for a long ass time and I think he would never let someone like you slip from his mind. You gotta remember how strong Ichigo actually is." Look at him, trying to comfort the very man that he hated. That was his chance to say hurtful things and damage Grimmjow's pride a bit more, but he just didn't have it in him. He wasn't a heartless man and he hated seeing the blunet go through the pain.

Renji unlocked the car and opened the door. Deep red-brown eyes watched the falling rain, it sliding down the inside of the car door and window. "You have to be able to face all this, Grimmjow, and be strong for Ichigo. You are his rock, remember?" Blue eyes looked over and watched Renji step out of the car, closing the door behind him.

That was right; he was Ichigo's rock. He was the person that had been keeping Ichigo grounded. That was something he knew he would always be. No matter how much Ichigo forgot about him, he knew that somewhere the oranget would keep a piece of him. Grimmjow was the only thing keeping Ichigo in his happy state. The dependency on him from Ichigo was something he wanted to get rid of, but it would be the only thing that kept Ichigo remembering just who Grimmjow actually was. So he reluctantly pushed the doubt and fear down into the pit of his stomach and took a deep breath.

Pushing the car door open, he stepped out into the rain, the drops feeling good against his hot skin. Closing the door, he followed Renji towards the monumental hospital. The streets were a shade darker, drenched in the rain. Ambulances were lined up off to the side and the sky was still as gray as ever. The wet plants swayed in the soft warm breeze, a weird contrast to the cooling rain.

They stepped into the lobby, the place bustling with people. The waiting room chairs were filled with various visitors and nurses and doctors made their way to and fro towards the destinations. They ignored it all, knowing where they were going and headed straight for Ichigo's room. Grimmjow's nerves were on edge and jumpy. He still wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to see what was going to happen. Walking down the long white corridor was daunting, and Grimmjow felt like it could go on forever. He actually didn't mind if it did. It would give him some time to be ready to see Ichigo. It would maybe calm his nerves of the situation. He was about to see Ichigo. It didn't feel like any other time that he had been sitting next to he oranget's bed. The atmosphere was different.

The nausea was starting to come again and he had to stop for a moment to take a deep breath. He looked up seeing Renji still walking and his legs slowly started to move again, completely quivering. Finally making it to Ichigo's room, Grimmjow stood next to Renji, staring at the wooden door.

"...How about you go in first? I can wait until you're finished. I know when Orihime, Yuzu and Karin get here you won't have any alone time." Grimmjow stiffly nodded and slowly made his way towards the door, softly pressing his hand onto the cold wood. It was now of never. He wasn't ready, but he couldn't wait any longer to see Ichigo. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open and passed through the threshold, letting the door slowly swing closed behind him.

* * *

_**A Few Hours Earlier** _

_Ichigo sat on the edge of the only tall building in his inner mind, his long legs dangling off the side. His eyes gazed down at Shiro who had yet to leave the all white piano bench, the soothing sounds of the music echoing around him. He didn't know long he had been in there, but he was sure it had been quite a while. The calming voice of Grimmjow had been missing for a few days and he wondered if he had already been abandoned. Shiro told him to stop thinking about such nonsense, but he still had doubt. Grimmjow had been dealing with his inability for quite some time and Ichigo figured that the blunet was just tired of it. He didn't blame Grimmjow for wanting to leave. All he ever did was give and give and Ichigo had become selfish with it all. It was nice that someone had loved him no matter what, but he knew everyone had their limit and he guessed Grimmjow over jumped his._

_Looking down at his fingers, he sadly smiled, thinking about all the good times he and Grimmjow had had. The man had given him so much happiness, had so much faith in him and whatever happened would never change the love he had for the blunet._

" _What are ya' all mopy about?" Ichigo looked up when he heard Shiro's voice. The man was slowly sitting down next to him and Ichigo wondered when he had gotten there. The frown on the orange head's lips were unseen by Shiro, but he could feel the sadness rolling off of the man._

" _Just thinking about Grimmjow."_

"… _Are ya still goin' on about that? I told ya to stop worryin'. He ain't goin' nowhere," Shiro huffed out._

" _How do you know? He could be back in America for all you know!" Shiro frowned and fell back, landing softly onto the top of the invisibly white building._

" _Do ya really think he would leave ya? When has he ever said he wouldn't be there? And why the hell say he loved ya then just up and leave? Stop being stupid, Ichigo." Shrio heard the oranget sigh and he turned over, leaning his head against his fist. "What's the real problem, King?"_

_Ichigo frowned and gazed out onto his white inner world. He really didn't know what was wrong. Maybe he was scared of being abandoned by the first person he had fallen in love with. Maybe he was scared of being hurt, realizing that Grimmjow had been playing him the whole time. Or maybe it was that he was just scared to be in love, of getting hurt. He had already been hurt so many times that he didn't know how much he could take. It wasn't so much the aftermath, but the initial action._

_Hearing about his parent's death had struck something in him that he could never forget. At that very second everything had come crashing down around him and he knew life wouldn't be the same afterwards. But he had found happiness in his friends and life started to go back to normal. The hole in his heart was still there, but he was no longer sad about it._

_When he had been at the train station, he had never thought he would be in that horrifying accident. It had been a normal day and he had been doing normal things. Going downtown was common for him and he always took the train, but something about that day had hit him hard, resulting in his loss of sight. The moment it happened, there wasn't much to think about. All he could remember was excoriating pain and all around fear for his life. When he woke up in the hospital, he didn't understand what had happened, but the fact that he couldn't see had been a shock, but he had learned to live with it, even though it was hard. And it was all thanks to his friends, family, but most of all, Grimmjow._

_So, if Grimmjow just up and let him it would hurt, almost as much as his parents leaving him that tragic night. It would hurt to his very core. He knew he would probably get over it, but he didn't even want to think about getting over Grimmjow. The blunet had been a miraculous existence in his life and he didn't want to even think how it would be without Grimmjow around._

"… _Nothing, I guess. I'm just thinking about stupid stuff." Shiro gazed out in front of him, listening to Ichigo's soft breathing before slowly pushing himself up into a sitting position and folding his arms across his knees._

" _I wanna tell ya somethin', King."_

" _Wha?" Ichigo said, turning his attention towards the white skinned man._

" _When ya get out of here, ya might not see me anymore."_

_Wha? But I thought you said-"_

" _I know what I said, but that might change. It all depends on ya decisions when you wake up."_

"… _What's that supposed to mean?" Shiro just smiled leaning his head down onto his crossed arms. Those white eyes gazed at Ichigo and the oranget could see a slight hue of gold shining, the pupils holding amusement. It made Ichigo wonder just what color Shiro's eyes had been before he had become blind._

" _You'll find out. If you follow ya heart than we might meet again. But just know this might be the last time ya see me." Ichigo frowned, not liking the sound of that. He had come to enjoy Shiro's company and he really hoped that this wouldn't be the last time they met._

_The pale man smiled wider before looking up into the air. "It's time for ya to go."_

" _Wha?"_

" _Yer waking up. I thought it would take longer, but I guess yer mind is tired of waitin'. Don't worry about me, worry about Grimmjow from now on." Ichigo's eyes widened when he noticed his vision starting to fade, only hearing the sound of Shiro's chuckling. "Just don't ferget about me when ya wake up. I'll make ya regret it."_

_Ichigo only nodded, still too surprised about what was happening. He could feel himself drifting from his mind, the soft feeling of bed sheets beneath him and the pain of tired and unused joints. Was he really about to awake? His smiled softly to himself. It was finally time to see Grimmjow._

* * *

Grimmjow stood in front of the door, watching the doctor standing over by the bed. He couldn't see Ichigo's face, but the raspy and deep voice was something he would never forget. His body shivered at just hearing it, it sending waves of comfort through him. Ichigo was okay, at least he hoped. Nothing seemed to be wrong, but he was standing too far away to see. His legs stiffly moved and he felt like he was about to make the biggest confession in his life. His breath hitched when he got closer, seeing the oranget's hand move about above the covers.

Getting closer he stood next to the doctor and the average sized woman smiled up at him. Her obsidian hair was long, pulled over her shoulder in a braid. He nodded at her and she nodded back before excusing herself from the room. Grimmjow glanced back over, seeing Ichigo gazing his way, a soft smile pulled across his lips. He didn't know what to do. His heart was pounding against his chest, threatening to jump out. Grabbing the chair that was near, he pulled it closer to the bed, only to stand in front of it. Aqua eyes gazed down, assessing Ichigo from toe to head. The man's legs were still covered by the blanket so he couldn't see much, but he gazed at the pale hands and arms, wondering how long ago had Ichigo lost the peachy color. He could tell that Ichigo had lost some weight even with the nourishment tube stuck in his arm.

"Grimmjow?" Said man shivered at the soft voice and he wanted nothing more than to pounce onto Ichigo. The man was fragile now and he knew Ichigo would break if he chose to be too rough. So he sighed dejectedly and lethargically sat himself down in the chair, pulling it even closer to the bed.

"Hey, Ichigo." He was so relieved that the oranget still remembered him. It brought him a small bout of joy and he could feel himself slowly relaxing again. "How ya doing?"

"…Good. A bit tired though. I guess the coma didn't do much good for me." Grimmjow just smiled, looking back down towards the oranget's hands. He wanted to hold them, hold Ichigo. He wanted to smother him with love at that very second, but his body just couldn't move. His limbs were trembling and he was apprehensive.

"U-uh, what did the doctor say?" That made Ichigo frown and he looked down towards his legs, a pained expression on his face. Grimmjow didn't enjoy the look at all and he feared what Ichigo would say.

"No-nothing much yet. They are going to do tests tomorrow. She just checked my vitals and stuff. She said she's not too worried about brain damage, but more worried about my muscles and nerves." Ichigo's frown seemed to deepen and he sighed before lying back against the pillows. "…It's really hard to move my legs. It might be just because I've recently woken up, but it's already been about an hour."

Sapphire eyes lowered and Grimmjow shut them tightly, fisting his hands against his pants. If Ichigo never walked again it would be his fault. "I-I'm so sorry, Ichigo. Thi-this is all my fault."

"Shut up," Ichigo mumbled, making the blunet flinch and look up. He watched Ichigo's hand rise and felt it slide across his own, calming his muscles. "I-I don't know what really happened, but it's not your fault, Grimmjow." The blunet shook his head, knowing that it was in fact his fault. Luppi had attacked the oranget and if Grimmjow had stayed away none of that would have happened. His heart was breaking at the sheer pained look on Ichigo's face and he didn't know what to do with himself.

Ichigo's fingers smoothed over the soft skin of Grimmjow's hand, realizing just how much he missed the man. This wasn't enough after being sleep for so long. He needed more, needed to be smothered in Grimmjow's warmth. It was his right to be selfish, right? He was allowed to have this time to get whatever he wanted. Gripping Grimmjow's hand, he slid his fingers around and pulled at his hand, getting the man to stand from the chair. He knew he wouldn't have to tell Grimmjow what to do. His ears could hear the soft creaking of the bed and the shuffling of sheets.

Before he realized it, strong arms had moved him slightly over and he felt Grimmjow in the bed next to him, the soft hair lying against his chest. His lips turned up and he leaned over, pressing his lips against the blue hair, then against Grimmjow's forehead, hearing the soft sigh. "I missed you, Grimmjow."

The blunet looked up, seeing those white orbs looking down at him, a soft smile pulled on Ichigo's face. "Missed you too, Ichi." The oranget's smile grew wider and he leaned over, pressing his lips against the blunet's softly. It made Grimmjow's insides explode with passion and this was what he had been waiting on for the last two months. Everything would be okay now. No matter what happened, he would make sure to give Ichigo the best life he could ever ask for. He would cherish every moment with the oranget and never take him for granted. Almost losing Ichigo before was enough to spook him and he never wanted anything like that to happen again.

* * *

When everyone arrived to see Ichigo, it was a frenzy of questions and conversations, but Ichigo never let Grimmjow leave. He kept the man locked in his tight grasp as they laid on the bed. He knew it was probably embarrassing for Grimmjow, but he needed to man there. He needed to make sure that Grimmjow never left him. The words that Shiro had spoke to him were still rolling around in his mind and he should believe in them, believe in their love. Grimmjow wasn't just going to up and leave him, and he hoped the three words that were spoken were true.

Karin and Yuzu had looked so relieved seeing Ichigo awake and the oranget couldn't be happier to see his little sisters. Yuzu took it upon herself to crawl into the bed with him and Grimmjow and she refused to leave. The blunet didn't seem to mind and neither did Ichigo, enjoying the comfort from his little sister. Inoue and Ulquiorra had come as well, Orihime leaving a large bouquet of flowers as well as some weird chocolates she had made. Ichigo wasn't going to eat them, but the gesture was sweet and he thanked her for it. Rukia only stayed for a little while, her grudge against Grimmjow still showing in her voice and words. Ichigo was glad to see her, but wished she would have stayed longer.

He really didn't understand the sheer hate she had for the blunet. Renji had been the same way, but they had become somewhat closer after this ordeal and Ichigo wished Rukia would act the same way. It was bothersome hearing that she was glaring, having a prominent look of disguist on her face, but he guessed everyone couldn't be happy about his relationship.

After a while everyone was getting ready to leave. Well, everyone except Yuzu and Renji. The little brown haired girl wanted to spend time with her big brother and Grimmjow and even though Karin thought they all should leave, Ichigo said it would be okay.

So there they were, three people huddled in a small bed while Renji looked on from across the way. It was an interesting sight to see in the red head's eyes, Grimmjow's large frame lying off to the side of Ichigo while Yuzu practically hugged against Ichigo's waist. He listened on as the small girl asked a series of questions, getting small chuckles and quiet answers from Ichigo. Renji decided that maybe it would be a good idea for him to leave as well. He wasn't needed and he had already said what he needed to say to Ichigo.

Rising up from the chair, he quietly made his way towards the door.

"Renji?" His feet stopped and he looked over his shoulder, waiting for Ichigo to speak again. "...Are you leaving?"

"Y-yeah, I'll come back tomorrow."

"...Good. I wanna talk to you. We didn't get to really talk much and I want to speak with you about something." Renji frowned, but nodded. He wondered what that could possibly be. There hadn't been anything going on between them two for a while and the sudden want of privacy was confusing. He said his goodbyes and left quietly, giving the three people their privacy.

"Ichigo?" Yuzu whispered after a while.

"Hmm?"

"Grimmjow's asleep." Ichigo just chuckled, lowering his hand down onto the man's head. He let his fingers ghost through course locks, loving the feel of soft strands between his fingers. "He hasn't been getting much sleep though, so I guess it's okay."

"How has Grimmjow been, Yuzu? He wouldn't tell me."

"Mmm," Yuzu responded, tapping her finger against her chin. She laid her head down and gazed up at the ceiling. "He's been having a hard time. He wasn't eating or sleeping much. Karin said he's been stressing a lot about your accident. I mean he flew all the way out here and he's missing work and stuff."

Ichigo frowned, looking down towards Grimmjow. He didn't like the sound for Grimmjow stressing or the fact that the blunet was being interrupted from his dream job. It made him happy that Grimmjow had come all the way there to see him, but he felt bad about taking away from the man's good life. Leaning back against his pillow, he thought about what would happen after he was released from the hospital. He would probably be leaving Japan for good. It was a big change, but he was willing to finally go through with it.

"Yuzu…how would you feel if I moved away from Japan and moved in with Grimmjow?"

"You're leaving?" Yuzu asked with surprise, pushing herself up from the bed.

"I-I don't know yet. Probably though. I think it might be better for our relationship if I move to America and live with him. Plus, it's nice for a change."

"W-would you still visit us?" Ichigo smiled and pulled Yuzu close, pressing his lips against her hair.

"Of course, I could never leave my sisters alone. You guys can visit America too. Might be fun." The brown haired girl beamed with joy and Ichigo could feel it radiating from her. "But first, there's a lot to take care of here," Ichigo mumbled, leaning back against his pillow and slowly closing his eyes.

_Starting with Renji._


	23. Chapter 23

Ichigo sighed, leaning back in the bed. He could feel Grimmjow's head still lying next to his chest and smiled at the feeling. Yuzu had gone home, so now it was just the two of them. It had been a while since he had been able to spend time with Grimmjow, but now that he was stuck in a hospital bed, it was kind of bothersome. He wondered what happened that brought upon this visit. He didn't remember much about the day, only recalling being with Orihime. He knew she was okay, so it was hard to figure out exactly what happened. The fact that Grimmjow kept saying it was his fault bothered Ichigo some and he hoped he could get an explanation soon. His ears picked up the sound of the blunet's deep breathing and he turned his face towards it, wondering how long it would be before he would be released from the hospital. Or at least how long it would take before he could get his eye surgery. He had already spoken about it with his eye doctor and he hoped the recent happenings wouldn't set his schedule back. His eyesight was so close that he could taste it and he was starting to act like a fat kid standing in front of a buffet.

Nothing else mattered. Being able to see was the only thing he was worried about now. He knew he would heal from whatever happened, but his sight was something that he had been longing for since it had been taken away. The thought of seeing Grimmjow for the first time made him giddy with excitement. To see the eyes that had been gazing at him for months at a time. The lips that spoke to him and smiled at him, kissed him. To be able to see the hands that he constantly felt running across his body, the very ones that played the piano so beautifully. It was something that he could no longer wait for.

His eyesight would bring back his confidence, bring back the feeling that he could fight through anything. It would bring a sense of security to him that he never realized had been missing. His hand lowered and he felt for the softness of locks, slowly running his hand through them. This feeling was nice too, being able to feel secure with just Grimmjow's presence. The blunet had become his blanket and he knew that one day he would have to push those needy feeling away. He would no longer be able to completely rely on Grimmjow. The time for him to become his own self again was coming fast and even though he was ready for it, it felt a little overwhelming. He had been blind for a little over a year now and it would feel awkward going back to how life used to be.

He cracked a smile. The only difference was that he would finally have someone he loved, standing by his side. He would be the normal scowling orange haired man with the newness of Grimmjow near him. It was exciting to think about how life would be after being able to see again. Leaning back, he sighed, letting his eyes drop closed.

Though seeing was what he wanted. This feeling wasn't so bad either. Just him and Grimmjow, in a sea of darkness.

* * *

Renji leaned back in his seat, gazing out at the various cars in front of him. He had come back to see Ichigo at the hospital just as he said he would. Regardless if Grimmjow was there or not, Ichigo had seemed adamant on talking to him and he wondered what about.

He wondered if Grimmjow had told Ichigo about his feeling and the thought made his face drain of color. That was the last thing he wanted his best friend to know, at least before he was able to tell him himself. He had spoken about it that night, but only because of Ichigo's unconscious state. It had been the only time he was able to say it in complete confidence.

Leaning back, he stared at the ceiling of his car, his russet eyes low and tired. Sleep still wasn't coming easy, still worried that Ichigo wasn't completely healthy. He had listened in when Grimmjow had spoken to the doctors, wanting nothing more to know for himself. It seemed the oranget was okay, but there was still a bit a doubt left in Renji. And the other thing that he couldn't stop thinking about was the rage and jealousy he had for Grimmjow. He couldn't see past his own desires to monopolize his hate towards the blunet.

He couldn't see the fact that Ichigo would never love him and even thinking about it made his heart twist with pain. He couldn't understand that Ichigo needed him as a friend more than some lovesick intolerant man. Sighing, he stepped out of the car, slamming the door shut and locking it. His hands dug into his pockets as he made his way inside of the hospital, his longer than average hair blowing in the strong breeze. Letting it grow much longer only showed that he didn't care much for dealing with it. The normal spikiness was now uneven and dangling from his high ponytail.

The familiar smell of disinfectant hit him hard as he stepped into the hospital and made a beeline straight to Ichigo's room, wanting to get this over with more than he thought. His stomach churned and even though he wanted to see Ichigo, he just didn't have the urge to stay there for too long. What was he going to say to him? Why did Ichigo sound so determined to speak to him? It just didn't sit well with him and he feared what the orange haired man was going to say.

His hands were sweating the closer he got to the room, but he was not going to turn back now. Finally making it there, he pushed the wide wooden door open only to freeze in the doorway. His russet eyes gazed at the pained expression on Ichigo's face as the doctor spoke to him. He could see blue hair out the corner of his eyes, but his mind was focused on his best friend. Renji watched a male nurse stand near Ichigo's bed, his arms spread towards the orange haired man as if he was waiting for him to fall.

The soft whimpering coming from the oranget's lips was far too loud to Renji and he had to cover his mouth as he watched on. Ichigo struggled to move his legs and the red head could practically see the perspiration forming on the pale skin and the shaking of limbs. The white eyes were gazing forward, the orange brows furrowed the more the oranget struggled.

"Calm down, Kurosaki-san. You don't want to try too hard. Why don't we take a break for a bit?"

Renji had to look away, his heart throbbing, knowing that there was something seriously wrong. He just hoped it wasn't as bad as he thought it was.

* * *

Grimmjow's eyes were trained on Ichigo as the orange haired man tried his hardest to move his legs. The strain on the facial muscles was evident in the struggle that Ichigo was having with himself. The sweat bitterly rolled down the oranget's face and Grimmjow didn't know how much he could take. It was obvious that Ichigo was suffering and Grimmjow was ready to yell some choice words to the female doctor.

He sighed and ran a hand though his hair before looking away, only to wince at the soft whimper that came from Ichigo's lips. The blunet would never get it out of his mind that this was his entire fault. He now thought twice about letting Luppi live and if Ichigo was cemented to a wheelchair for the rest of his life then Grimmjow would never be able to live with himself.

_I can't take anymore of this. I need a breather._

Grimmjow started to make his way towards the exit, his eyes staying glued to the door. The blue orbs noticed the long red hair and for the first time was relieved to actually see Renji. Though they still weren't that close, Grimmjow had a feeling that he could confide in the red haired male. Coppery brown eyes were trained on Ichigo's frustrated form and Grimmjow could see the tiredness and stress in the dark eyes. It was the same way he was feeling and the blunet knew if anyone felt the same way as him. It was Renji.

"Hey, man," he whispered, his tone laced with fatigue.

"Hey," responded Renji as he turned Grimmjow's way. He could tell the older man hadn't gotten much sleep from the dark circles around the blue eyes and the redness that was engulfing the white sclera. "How, uh, how is Ichigo doing?" Renji already knew the answer from what he had just witness, but he needed to be sure. He needed to know that Ichigo would be fine in the long run.

Grimmjow just sighed, lowering his eyes to his feet. "Not really sure yet. The doctor is still doin' some tests. He went in for x-rays this morning, so we're just waiting on those." Looking back up he continued. "…Ya mind if we talk somewhere else? I really need to get out of this room."

Renji gazed at the blunet, his face showing an unnamable expression. He had come to see Ichigo, not lend the blunet a shoulder to confess his fears on. The sapphire eyes showed desperation, fear, doubt and a million other things Renji could name. In all, Grimmjow was terrified of what was going to happen to Ichigo. He was angry with himself for the choices he had made, at how this incident had taken a toll on his state of mind. He wasn't the cocky, arrogant man Renji somehow knew him as.

Sighing, he glanced away and looked back towards Ichigo, seeing his best friend lying under his covers, the man's face showing just how tired he was. He guessed he could give Ichigo a few moments and nodded to Grimmjow before slipping back out of the room.

"I'll be back, Ichi," Renji heard Grimmjow say. The red head didn't know where he was going, but he just let his feet take him wherever, hearing Grimmjow follow in step next to him. They trudged down a few corridors in complete silence, the sounds of medics surrounding them.

"...How about some coffee?" Renji mumbled, receiving a grunt from the taller male. He guessed Grimmjow needed to talk to him in private almost as much as Ichigo did.

* * *

Sapphire eyes gazed down at the steaming deep brown liquid. Even though he had gotten some sleep, he could still feel his eyes drooping closed. He had been comforted by Ichigo's presence, but the guilt inside him wasn't making his life any better. The fact that Ichigo was struggling to move his lower half was enough to drive the blunet over the edge. He was losing his faith, his strength and he was losing his ability to even be by Ichigo's side.

"So…" Renji wasn't sure what he should say. The atmosphere was dense with frustration and Renji watched the blue eyebrows crease inwardly. Grimmjow was beating himself up way too much about everything. Renji knew this wasn't his fault from the get go, yet he could see that the statement he had made was weighing on the blunet's mind. The sheer disappointment in Grimmjow was showing like a light through fog and it made Renji curse under his breath. He knew it was wrong of him to be selfish in the situation. This was about making sure Ichigo was relaxed and if he was holding a grudge against Grimmjow, then the atmosphere between them all would be frustrating.

Leaning back in the chair, Renji gazed across the table at the lowered dull blue eyes. The blue hair was flat and disheveled. "How are ya doing?" That question was better than sitting there without a thing to say. Grimmjow probably wouldn't tell him the truth, but it couldn't hurt to ask.

"I feel like utter shit," he mumbled. Oh, well, Renji guessed wrong. He had thought Grimmjow would show a façade and try to be macho about everything. Just another thing Renji envied when it came to the blunet. "The fact that Ichigo is just sittin' there struggling and I can't even do anything for him. And none of this would have happened if I didn't have a psychotic ass ex. Not to mention I should have stayed when he asked me to. All this shit could have been avoided…"

Renji's eyes were glued on Grimmjow as he rambled off about things that should have been. The red head had never seen the blunet in such a way, so uncertain.

"…Grimmjow…" Cereluan eyes glanced up, lips on the edge of the small Styrofoam cup. "You really shouldn't beat yourself up about this."

"…Weren't you the one who told me this was all my fault?" Grimmjow responded with an arched brow. "Or was that more of your jealousy talking?"

Narrowed russet orbs glared at Grimmjow before Renji leaned over, his face a few inches from Grimmjow's. He could smell the mix of coffee and peppermint on the larger man's breath, but he continued to gaze into those blue orbs.

"Fuck you. I have every right to be jealous," the red head hissed. "If some punk came out of nowhere and stole the heart of the person you have loved for years, you would be angry too. So don't act as if I don't have reasons to justify what I do. If I was an asshole I wouldn't even be sittin' here talkin' to you. Now shut the fuck up and listen to what I have to say."

Grimmjow just gazed into the blazing but tired eyes, his lips sipping on the boiling hot coffee. He was willing to listen to whatever Renji was saying. He knew if anyone would tell him about himself it would be the very person that hated his guts.

"...I'm listening."

"Ya need to stop beating yourself up. Okay, yes, some of this is yer fault, but you have no control over what someone else is going to do. Besides you were fuckin' 7,000 miles away. You are here for Ichigo now and that is all that matters. Regardless of what the hell happens now you just have to deal with it. You…love…him, right? Then that's all that should matter."

Grimmjow gazed at Renji with netrual eyes trying to put together the simple answer that was given to him. Was it all really that simple? Just go with the flow and deal with everything that comes his way? It sounded so effortless, but he knew it would never be that way. His feelings had morphed and the only thing before his eyes was making Ichigo realize just whose fault it was that he was lying in a hospital bed.

"Have you told Ichigo about what happened yet?" Grimmjow just shook his head as he set the small coffee cup down. "When are you going to?"

"Don't know yet," Grimmjow mumbled. "I don't even know where to start."

Renji could understand that. Telling your boyfriend that your ex tried to kill him because of jealousy was definitely going to be hard.

"And what about you?" Grimmjow eyes looked up straight into Renji's eyes and he could see the sheer confusion in the dark red orbs. "You're going to tell Ichigo about your feelings, aren't you?"

The paleness of Renji's face seemed to get lighter in color when he realized just what Grimmjow was saying. Was he really that obvious? He had been debating on just getting it out, but his fear was still holding him back. In some way he wished Ichigo had heard him that night so that it would be much easier.

"I-I don't…know.," Renji said softly before sighing. "Are you okay with that though?" Grimmjow shrugged as he pushed himself up from the table, crushing the small white coffee cup in his hand.

"To tell you the truth… If Ichigo no longer wants to be with me, I rather him be with you then be alone." Renji's eyes slightly widened as he watched the blunet make his way out of the large cafeteria, leaving him alone at the table. Did Grimmjow really feel that way? Frowning, he looked down at his fisted hands and sighed again.

He really did fucking hate Grimmjow.

* * *

When Renji made it back to Ichigo's room Grimmjow was nowhere to be found. He thought the blunet would stay around for a bit more and he wished that he had. Telling Ichigo about his feelings would be difficult and he knew Grimmjow would lighten the stress inside him. Maybe he could keep his love to himself and just let it fester on the inside. It wasn't like it was a requirement for Ichigo to know. It was just…common courtesy.

"Hey…Ichi." The orange haired man looked up, his eyes low and the tired lines on his face prominent. The normal spikey hair was a little longer and lying flat against the man's forehead, now making it a little harder to see the white bandages.

"Hey, Renji." Ichigo gave a soft smile, but the red head could see the depression and sadness in it. "How are you doing?"

"...I'm okay," Renji responded, making his way over to the bed and sitting in the chair next to it. "Where's Grimmjow?"

"Oh… He sounded really tired so I told him to go home and get some sleep. He'll probably be back later on or tomorrow."

 _Probably_ _later_ _on_ , Renji thought. He knew Grimmjow wouldn't be able to stay away for too long. "Well I just came to see how you were doing and talk."

"Oh, yeah, talk. I did want to talk to you about something." Renji's heart was thumping hard in his chest and he knew it was now or never. His tongue felt swollen and he couldn't even seem to get a whimper out.

Ichigo looked away and back down towards his hands, fidgeting with anticipation. "A-are you… Uhm, are you- Do you have something you want to tell me?" Ichigo couldn't figure out what he should say to Renji.

It was all still very confusing to him, the thought of his best friend being in love with him. At first he had thought he was dreaming, but the more he played back what had been said to him, the more he realized that Renji was being truthful. He wondered about all the years they had known each other and how much of it was lies. Had Renji just stood by his side because it was the closest he could get? Or was Renji still his best friend above anything else? Ichigo had always confided in Renji no matter how much it seemed like they disliked each other. Underneath all the arguing and playful hate was a love that Ichigo never wanted to be broken. It wasn't the love he had for Grimmjow but the kind of love you would have for your family and Ichigo didn't want something to screw that up.

"Uh, yeah. I do." Renji guessed it was really time for him to spill what he had kept secret for years. The blood in his ears was making it hard to think, but he knew what Ichigo wanted to hear. It wasn't such a cryptic thing and if he no longer wanted to feel like the coward Grimmjow called him, he would explain himself thoroughly to Ichigo.

"For a while," Renji started. "I guess since the second year of high school, my, uh, my feelings for you have…changed. I guess you can say it was a crush at first," Renji continued, chuckling nervously as he scratched the back of his head. "But then it turned into something I couldn't understand. Whenever I saw you my heart would beat faster and I felt nervous even if I didn't show it. It was hard for me to keep something like that to myself. Even when I found out that Orihime was in love with you. Everything had become so hard to deal with; trying to stay as just someone you could rely on. A friend."

Renji leaned back in his chair, letting his head roll back so he could stare at the ceiling.

"W-why didn't you ever tell me?" Renji snorted and scrubbed his hands down his face.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to even look at you with those kinds of feelings? I had always thought I would be attracted to women. Women, Ichigo. But there I was, confused and in love with my best friend. The very person I had promised to be there for since your parents passed away. You had become my family, my…brother. I didn't know how to deal with it all, so I kept it bottled up."

Lowering his head, Renji leaned over, letting his elbows sit on the edge of the bed. "The moment I saw how close you were getting to Grimmjow everything was starting to explode inside of me. You were having this relationship with him and my feelings for you were only growing. I felt cheated in some way, because I've loved you for so fucking long. It felt like my heart was being stepped on. I tried to push away the feelings and just continue to be the best friend I had always been, but then… Then it seemed that even that was being threatened. I didn't know what to do."

Ichigo didn't know what else to say. He guessed he was really as blind as Renji had said he was. First Orihime and now his own best friend. He didn't understand how he couldn't see these feelings with his own two eyes. It made him feel like some kind of monster and he wondered how life would be if he had actually found out earlier that Renji was in love with him.

"…Renji…I'm sorry I didn't see your feelings. I should be angry...but you have your own reasons for keeping it from me. I'm just upset that you could keep it from me. I am your best friend. But I can understand that you didn't want things to be awkward. I just hope me being with Grimmjow doesn't change anything. Or…should I be worried?"

"No! God, no. I really hate Grimmjow for stepping between us, but it was my own fault for not just saying anything. I'm still here for you, Ichigo. Nothing will ever change that and even though I am still kind of in love with you it won't change anything between us. I mean, right?"

Ichigo wasn't sure about that, but he could hear the apprehension in Renji's voice. He could tell that the red head would do anything to keep their relationship the way it was before he even met Grimmjow.

Smiling to himself, he slowly reached out and felt for Renji's fingers. The red head's cheeks began to redden when he felt the cold fingers slid against his forearm.

"No matter what happens, you will always be my best friend, Renji. I mean where would I be if I didn't have a sidekick to fight with?"

Russet eyes widened and a breath was exhaled from Renji's lips. The color seemed to slowly come back to the man's face and the fear for his relationship was slowly starting to dissipate. Chuckling softly, he let his face fall to the covers and felt Ichigo's fingers pull at one his long red locks.

"A strawberry without a pineapple." Ichigo snorted at the muffled response, but he knew it was true. They were brothers, after all.


	24. Chapter 24

It felt good again, talking to Ichigo. Renji's heart was beating so fast from the talk he and the oranget had. He expressed himself, told Ichigo the things he never thought he could ever speak of to anyone. It felt good to let the younger man know, but he worried about how the new information would change his best friend's perception of him. Renji feared of losing Ichigo. He feared of the questions Ichigo would ask him in the future. It was hard to still not love Ichigo. The orange haired man had been his best friend, his brother for years and they had done everything together. They were inseparable from a young age and even though he was the oldest out of the two he looked up to Ichigo with a great deal of honor. The boy had been through so much and was still going through it strong. Renji didn't think he would ever be able to overcome such tragedies.

The red head didn't know much about his real family, being that he was adopted. Rukia and Byakuya were the only ones that were worth mentioning, other than Ichigo and his family. His adopted family hadn't been cruel, but they weren't the nicest family on the block either. They seemed to have some bitterness towards Ichigo's family and tried everything in their power to keep the two boys separated. Of course Renji never paid attention to what his "parents" said and took it upon himself to sneak out and spend as much time with Ichigo as possible. He guessed living next door had its advantages, and he made use of Ichigo's balcony window, even at the age of seven. They were both reckless anyway, so climbing to the second story window was a piece of cake.

That is until he fell one day and broke his arm. His parents roared and screamed like banshees saying Ichigo had put their son up to the craziness, calling him a delinquent in the making. That didn't sit too well with Ichigo's parents especially his mother, who knew Ichigo was a godsend. That never kept the two little boys apart though. It was always Ichigo and Renji against the world and the red head knew that would never change.

In high school, even if there were girls, they would be joined at the hip. Even after Ichigo's parents had passed and the oranget had his bad days, Renji seemed like the only one to make him feel better. They were like brothers and nothing would ever change that.

Renji smiled against the sheets wrapped around Ichigo's form. He felt fingers skating through his long red strands and sighed. He knew Ichigo would never love him, but this was fine too. He enjoyed the quiet times he had with Ichigo even if they were short lived. Grimmjow wouldn't be back that night (at least he hoped so) and he could enjoy this moment watching crappy hospital television with Ichigo. Of course the oranget couldn't see it, but that never really mattered. It was always all about the company.

* * *

Renji leaned his head against the large coffee vending machine, watching the dark brown liquid pour into the white Styrofoam cup. He was tired. It was almost three in the morning and Ichigo had been fast asleep for the past hour and a half. He knew he should leave, but for some reason he just couldn't. Renji was afraid that if he fell asleep and the day changed that everything would go wrong again. He didn't want that. He wanted to live in this moment, enjoy the progress he and Ichigo had made in fixing their friendship. It was a stupid idea, but maybe that's what he needed instead of thinking logical. Though his stupid ideas usually got him in trouble, there was always a small chance of success.

Sighing, he pulled the cup from the machine and sipped on the hot cup of caffeine. He never remembered drinking so much coffee in his life. He was always an energetic guy, but with the lack of sleep lately drinking the beverage to stay awake had become a requirement for him. As he started to make his way back towards Ichigo's room, he felt his cell phone start to vibrate against his hip.

Stopping, he pulled the device out of his pocket and pressed the answer button before placing it on his ear.

"Hello," he said as he stared down at the hot drink.

"Renji, it's Rukia."

"What's up?" There was a pause before the sound of the small woman sighing.

"I take it you're still at the hospital." He just grunted and continued to make his way closer to Ichigo's room. "Go home. I'm sure Ichigo needs his rest and I know you been there practically all day. Stop running yourself ragged."

"Tch, one of us has to see him for us both. I haven't even seen you down here once."

"I was there the first time!"

"And any other time?" He stopped next to the door and leaned against the wall. "You're his friend. You should be here just as much as everyone else. Orihime probably comes here just as much as I do. She even brings him things she knows he doesn't need. I have yet to see a badly drawn card or even a Chappy stuffed animal. Do you really hate him that much for not getting with her?"

"Of course not! I-I just…" The other line was silent and Renji sipped on his coffee waiting while Rukia collected her thoughts. "I don't like seeing him like that," she practically whispered. Renji was surprised he even heard her. "It's already bad that he lost his eye sight. I-I can't stand the sight of seeing him lying up in that bed all day. It bothers me seeing him so helpless."

"That's still not an excuse. Do you think it makes anyone else happy? We come here because Ichigo can't come to us. I expected you to know that much. He is glad when we come to see him, so stop acting like an idiot and get your ass down here."

"F-Fine! I'll see him later this week." Renji smiled smugly and sipped at his coffee again. "But you still need to give Ichigo his space, Renji. You're his best friend, not his lover. That's Grimmjow's job."

"…I know," Renji mumbled. He knew that very well, but he still refused to accept that. Just because Grimmjow was the lover didn't mean he had to step aside as the best friend. It didn't mean he needed to skimp on his friendly duties. But maybe he was doing a little too much. Maybe he was smothering Ichigo with his love.

"I'm glad you do. Oh and Renji-"

"Yeah?"

"If you call my drawing bad again, I'll kick your ass." Renji just snorted when the phone hung up and he dropped his hand to his side. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, looking at the door that separated him from Ichigo. It was a struggle to want to leave but maybe Rukia was really right. Maybe he should just go home.

So he did just that, slipping his phone back into his pocket and passed the room as he made his way out of the hospital, not even looking back.

* * *

Renji quietly slipped into the apartment, closing the door behind him and toeing off his shoes. That little time spent with Ichigo was wonderful, but he couldn't forget the words that Rukia had spoken to him. Ichigo was in fact Grimmjow's and that probably wasn't ever going to change. Things between him and his best friend would never be the same again. Ichigo knew about his feelings, knew about the crush he had had for so damn long. It didn't make things awkward, but Renji could tell there was a bigger gap between them.

Sighing, he made his way to the kitchen, ignoring that it was 3AM. He needed something to stop his stomach from growling up a storm. After heating up some korokke Yuzu had made earlier in the day, he made his way to his room savoring the taste of the deep-fried dish. The sound of soft classical music filled the hallway and Renji already knew Grimmjow had to be home. It was freaking 3AM; of course the blunet was home. Maybe the man couldn't sleep and the music was just something to pass the time. It was so much like Ichigo that it hurt Renji just thinking about it. Making it closer to his room, he paused at the slightly opened door of Ichigo's room and peeked inside.

At a first glance he didn't notice anything until he pushed the door open a bit more. He gazed down at the sleeping figure lying above the tucked in covers, a large forearm thrown the face. Renji could see Pantera curled up on the man's chest. Sighing, he figured it was a good thing that the big guy was finally able to sleep. Pushing the door open wider, he padded into the room and turned off the radio and then flipped the light switch, closing the door behind him.

Grimmjow was a lot strong than him. He could see that now. He knew if he and Ichigo had been in a relationship he wouldn't be able to deal with all the waiting and frustration and heartache Grimmjow was going through. Having unrequited love for your best friend was nothing compared to two lovers being apart only to be brought back together with such a tragedy. Sure he knew Ichigo longer and definitely loved him longer, but the mutual love between Grimmjow and Ichigo was so much stronger, so much more alive and he knew that it was his time to step aside and let the two be.

It was going to be hard, but he was a friend. And that's what real friends did.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Different languages warning: " **English Speaking** " "Normal/Japanese Speaking"

_The stage was dark, only a small spotlight shining from above and onto the piano keys. Grimmjow's instincts made him realize that he should be playing the beautiful instrument before him. The quietness of the room was bothersome and it needed to be filled with the sweet melody that always slid from his fingers. Lofty, soft fingers ghosted across the rectangular keys, taking in the coldness of each one and the way they sparkled in the light from above. It just came to him, something deep to resonate against the unseen walls and his fingers quickly fleeted across the instrument, the thumping spread throughout the area and his foot tapped against the pedal, his leather loafers clicking softly against them._

_Though he was playing, he couldn't find it in him to smile, his lips pulled into a thin line and his perfect Carolina blue eyebrows creased with anxiety. He didn't feel as alive as he always did, couldn't feel the happiness he usually felt while he played. The sheer joy of being around the one thing that made his heart sing. It just didn't feel the same. A jolt of pain shot through his heart and he wondered why he was feeling so upset. Was there something he was missing? Something that he should be worried about?_

_He opened his eyes, only just realizing that he had had them closed the whole time, but that hadn't been the reason for the darkness he was seeing. That wasn't the reason for the unknown feelings in his heart._

_Soft humming drifted into his right ear and out the other, the deep voice familiar and enriching. The tone impersonated the very music he was playing and blunet found himself relaxing at the soothing voice. Lowering his eyes, he noticed fingers slipping from the darkness, sliding across the black piano top, slowly revealing manly hands that were a tad smaller than his. The flexed forearms were smooth and hairless and Grimmjow tried to pinpoint where he recognized them._

_They reached out and ghosted across his cheeks and Grimmjow sighed as then ran through his baby blue locks. Deep, mahogany eyes showed and the pianist's heart started to pound in his chest, recognizing the determination and underlining delirium in those deep pools. Ichigo. There was only one person who could have such a readable expression, only one person who would touch him in such a way. The smile pulled on the boy's lips was sweet and the happiness radiating from it was stimulating. It had been so long since he had seen Ichigo smile, so long since he seen his lover genuinely happy._

_The darkness surrounding them started to slowly illuminate and Grimmjow took in the bareness of Ichigo's body that was being revealed. The taut, tanned skin stretched across washboard abs and hard chest glistened with sweat and Grimmjow can plainly see the limp genitals hiding under vermillion curls that sit between strong and muscular thighs. Glancing back up, the blunet could see the deep lustful look in the younger man's eyes and wondered what had brought about such a look._

_Ichigo leaned over and captured Grimmjow's trembling lips in an unprepared kiss and the man abruptly tapped against an incorrect key. Ichigo didn't seem to mind, as he was too infatuated in letting his tongue make love to the pianist's mouth. Tongues engaged and intertwined as lips became swollen and wet._

_The blunet felt weight being pressed down against him and a deep heat enclose around him, and he groaned into the mouth that latched itself onto his. His body slicked with cooling sweat and for some reason his hands were no longer on the piano, but wrapped around a narrow waist as he rocked upwards into the body above him. The high-pitched wanton cries spilled from Ichigo's open mouth continuing to flow in tune with the harmonic music that Grimmjow was so accustomed to. The lithe body was on display before his deepened blue pools and the blunet started to notice the scars that were manifesting across his lover's smaller body. Smooth flawless skin was being replaced by rubbed raw and pink skin that peppered itself across Ichigo's chest. The thighs hugging close to his were damaged with healed scrapes. Looking up, Grimmjow gazed into the endless pools of white, noticing how the rich chocolate irises and dark pupils had vanished._

_A stab of pain ran through Grimmjow's body, but when he looked up at Ichigo, the boy was still showing such a radiant, happy smile and every doubt in his body slowly washed away letting him form his own lop-sided grin. Large hands ran across the perspiring back, pulling the oranget closer and Grimmjow captured the plump lips in an endearing kiss that made himself explode with the sheer joy he had been missing before. Light quickly broke through the darkness surrounding them and everything became too bright to see, but Grimmjow only focused on the feeling running against his hands, the feeling of fingers in his hair and thighs clinging to his own. Ichigo was there and nothing else even mattered, not even the music that he always known and loved._

* * *

**_Beep. Beep. Beep._ **

Grimmjow groaned at the annoyingly loud alarm clock that he had forgotten he had set the night before. It pierced through the passionate dream he had been having and disintegrated the chance of it even continuing. Slamming down on the button, the noise stopped and he threw his arm over his eyes before he sighed and stretched his toes underneath the soft bed sheets. He was burning up from the desire still inside him, but he could feel the stickiness inside of his boxers knowing just what had happened.

The purring off to his side only added to the fact that he was no longer dreaming and he had certainly exploded into his underwear and not his handsome and quite intoxicating boyfriend. He threw his forearm off of his face and gazed up at the ceiling, trying to remember the last time he had ever had such a cryptic wet dream. He was too damn old to be acting that way anymore.

 **"Fuckin' great,"**  he mumbled to himself. Sighing, he pushed himself up onto his elbows, blinking his eyes of any sleepiness left behind. He couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep; being that he was so exhausted the night before. Grimmjow had wanted to go back to see Ichigo, but he guessed his body had other plans. Glancing down, he reached and threw the covers off of him before staring down at his boxers.  **"Are you a goddamn teenager, Grimmjow?"** He could plainly see the wetness where the tent was formed in his undies.

This was a wonderful way to start the day. Having wet dreams and white hot passion with himself while Ichigo was holed-up in the hospital. He knew he couldn't really help it. It had been five months since he and Ichigo last had sex. The more and more he had been with the oranget, he had been becoming thirstier for the man. Three months away from Ichigo was pure torture in more ways than one and being around the man was just as bad. Well, maybe worse. The knowledge that he couldn't do anything with his lover was frustrating. The knowledge and the guilt every time he gazed at Ichigo were unnerving. It was all just too hard to deal with and sex seemed to be only allowed in his dreams.

" **What the hell are you thinkin' about, dumbass? Ichigo is in the hospital for Pete's sake."** Pushing himself up from the bed, he waddled over to Ichigo's dresser and pulled out some of his clothing. If he was going to visit Ichigo today, he would need a cold shower. Not just for his body, but for his mind as well.

* * *

_Green grass surrounded short, silky tangelo locks as Ichigo laid back and gazed at the sky full of fluffy, white clouds. His coppery brown eyes took in every hue that made up such a large vast of the world. The green grass felt soft against his bare legs, tickling the skin gently. It had been so long since he saw the sky for what it really was. Big, beautiful and blue. Grimmjow. It made him smile just knowing how much such a simple thing could make him grin. The distinctive features of the pianist were unknown to him, but Ichigo knew what he felt with his own two hands. He could feel how large Grimmjow was, body and soul. His limber fingers could always grasp how beautiful every inch of the blunet was. And though he knew nothing of the hair pigment that everyone seemed to be so familiar with, he somehow knew that such a vibrant and strong color matched the man in its own ways._

_The calm sensation he would receive just being in the man's arms. The sense of solitude and peace he experienced when he heard the man's husky, baritone voice. It was all a part of him now, keeping him balanced and strong._

_The faint melody blew in the wind and Ichigo instantly recognized the style, the way the fingers executed each key lucidly. It made his heart palpitate fiercely and his skin tingle with lust. Ichigo's fingers traced over the defined lines of his muscles, listening to the way the music's volume started to steadily rise. Each note seemed to match the curve of his pectorals, dropping and rising as Ichigo's fingers ran across his bare skin. His body quivered as he started to suddenly feel those experienced fingers running over his now naked body, knowing every secret spot as if it was made for the larger man. Grimmjow always seemed to ignite Ichigo's fire with one touch and keep it ablaze with every husky whisper and moan._

_Burnt orange eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks as Ichigo felt moist lips trail across his chest with butterfly kisses and he moaned at the exploring hands and strong body that was pressing down against him. How he wished if he opened his eyes that he would see Grimmjow above him. How he wished to see how those eyes gazed at him full of lust or how the pianist worshipped his body._

_Lips captured his with need and want, sucking profusely as the hard, larger body rocked against his. Ichigo could only gasp and moan into the mouth clinging to his own, his fingers gripping and pulling at the grass. Toes curled dangerously and Ichigo could feel himself getting closer to that hot white nirvana. Legs hugged tight around Grimmjow's waist, sweat rolled across his body, making him hotter in a way only the blunet could achieve. Just their bodies held tight and close and Ichigo would be sent skyrocketing into the heavens. It was so easy for him to fall into such a state. Just one thought of that unseen man and Ichigo become a dripping puddle of desire. **All because of Grimmjow.**_

* * *

Orihime hummed to herself as she walked down the white corridor, her arms holding an arrangement of items. It had been a couple of weeks since she had come to see Ichigo and she was starting to worry about him. She had spoken about her feelings towards Ulquiorra, who insisted that she go visit the orange haired male. That had been another thing that she adored about the dark haired man. Ulquiorra knew about her past feelings for Ichigo, but showed no jealously towards the man she still considered a very good friend. The green eyed stoic man knew how solid his relationship had become with Orihime and he knew nothing with jeopardize what he had been slowly building up.

When she thought about the oranget there was still some lingering love and she knew with time they would slowly dissipate. She wanted to be there for him as his support. Though she wasn't hurt physically like Ichigo was she could still feel his pain right down to her soul. It had always been that way ever since high school and now that she had come to terms with her feelings and expressed them in such a obvious way, it seemed that she had become hypersensitive to everything Ichigo felt. His pain, his sorrow, even the new found love he had for Grimmjow. She could relate in her own way and she hoped that she could bring a smile to her bright haired best friend.

Rounding the corner, she slightly bowed to one of the nurses who smiled gently at her. It had been one of the nurses she recognized from being in Ichigo's hospital room. Finally reaching the door, she softly pushed it open, slightly frowning at the darkness of the room. It was the early morning and she had thought Ichigo would be up. Inoue debated leaving, but she just had to see how the oranget was doing.

Quietly slipping into the room, she softly padded over to the bed and gazed down at the man she once loved.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun," she mumbled softly. Her ears could pick up the soft rhythmic breathing and realized that he was in fact sleeping soundly. "I-I brought you some gifts. Uhm, well…"

Looking down into her small little bag filled with goodies she started to pull out an array of item: A little golden plush lion with a red bow, a small box of rainbow sprinkled doughnuts, some flowers she had asked Ulquiorra to help her pick out and a small box of chocolates.

She didn't know if the oranget could have sweets while he was in the hospital, but she hoped that her gifts brought some kind of smile to Ichigo's lips. She rounded the bed and started to set the items out on the small side desk were a large amount of cards, flowers and stuffed animals had been placed. It was obvious that everyone was very worried about the young man's health and they all hoped he would make a full recovery.

After cleaning up the area a bit and opening the curtains to let in a bit of light, she set herself down into the chair that had made a permanent spot beside Ichigo's bed. Her large gray eyes gazed at her friend's broken state, noticing the fresh white bandages wrapping around his torso and forehead. Her eyes trailed down the arms that she remembered being a bit larger and gazed at the bandages wrapped around the forearm and hand, some of it hiding under the yellowish cast.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun. It hurts to see you like this." Her voice was somber and she could feel the tears trying to break forth in her eyes. Her hand reached out and she slid it into Ichigo's open palm, wrapping her fingers around the back of his hand and softly squeezing. "I wish there was something I could do to take away all of your pain. I would switch places with you if I could just to see you up and moving around." She smiled softly feeling hot tears slowly rolling from her eyes. "Grimmjow is in so much pain and so are your sisters. I'm worried for them all and I pray that you will be back to yourself again."

The tears started to roll faster and she sniffled to keep her face from looking a mess. It had been hard for everyone to see Ichigo in such a state, lying in the bed, unable to move about. It didn't fit such a fiery personality, such stubborn ways. Orihime knew Ichigo hated being in that bed just as much as he hated being blind and she couldn't wait for the day to see the orange haired man back to his vibrant and short tempered self.

"Be strong, Kurosaki-kun. Everyone is waiting for you to walk out of those hospital doors with determined eyes and a kick in your step." Her lips turned up into a soft smile and her eyes glimmered with shed tears.  _Just wait, Kurosaki-kun. You'll be back to your old self._

* * *

Grimmjow's body seemed a bit more relaxed after his night of erotic dreams and much needed sleep. He was still a stressed mess, but he hoped that Ichigo would pull through and he would be there to help in anyway. He had been thinking hard about his relationship with Ichigo up until now and he couldn't bring himself to end it anytime soon. Of course he was almost as stressed as he was when his mother passed away, but he felt like he would be betraying the oranget if he just left. He was fucking up his own life, his own dreams but if it wasn't for Ichigo's encouragement he wouldn't be where he was now.

Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, he flipped through a magazine nervously. He had first headed to Ichigo's room, but upon arriving he had noticed a few nurses pushing Inoue out of the room as they rolled an unconscious Ichigo away. He had been in shock, wanting to know what the hell had happened, but had been slightly calmed by the orange haired woman who said that his lover was going in for some x-rays.

He really hoped that was all it was, not being able to afford any more bad news when it came to Ichigo's well-being. There were still so many unanswered questions about his partner's health and the sooner he figured out what was going on, the sooner he could pull his stomach up off of the floor.

"Grimmjow-san…" The blunet had completely forgotten that he was sitting next to the voluptuous woman with long flowing orange hair. Glancing over, he could see the big gray eyes gazing up at him with worry and he wished he could put on a smile. "Have you eaten today, Grimmjow-san?"

The pianist knew it was in Inoue's nature to be worried about other people before herself, but he wished that she wouldn't fret about him. He was a grown man and he could take care of himself. Well…maybe that was a lie. Ever since Ichigo was placed into the hospital his own health had become nothing more than an ant crossing the road. He knew he was losing weight, as well as sleep, but it just didn't matter.

To keep face he just grinned at her with all the strength he had in him and answered with a soft "yeah." Slate gray eyes narrowed and Grimmjow was surprised to see something familiar in her eyes. He watched her reach into her bag and pull out a wrapped object before handing it over to him. Gazing down at it, he wasn't sure what to say.

"It's some rolled eggs I made this morning. Ulquiorra was over for breakfast and I had some left over. I was going to eat them, but you seem to need them more than me. They are filled with bean paste, squid and peanut butter."

Grimmjow's eyes widened as he gazed at the still covered food (if that was what he was supposed to call it). Ichigo had told him many times to never eat anything Orihime cooked and now he could see why. Just listening to the ingredients gave him the urge to throw it across the room and wash his hands double time.

"Hime…I-I'm really okay. Yuzu made sure I ate something before I left." That was a total lie, but he didn't want to tell the woman that her food wasn't even fit for a dog to eat. That wouldn't be right. "D-Did Ulquiorra eat some of these?"

"Oh yes! Five of them! He said they were delicious!" Grimmjow found himself snorting at hearing that. Ulquiorra wasn't the type to lie about anything, so either the man didn't want to hurt Inoue's feelings or he really thought the girl's cooking was delicious. It was just another thing that made the blunet realize just how much his best friend liked Inoue.

"That's good then." Handing them back to her, he smirked. "You should save them for him. He might be upset if he knew you were giving them to me." Inoue gazed up at Grimmjow, her eyes searching anything amiss. It was hard to figure out if he was lying or not, but she didn't want to pry too much. Sighing, she just nodded, taking the wrapped food and placing it back into her bag.

They both fell silent, becoming victims of their own thoughts. Grimmjow's mind was firing off ideas of how he was going to deal with Ichigo's recovery and his still waiting job in America. He wasn't going to be able to stay in Japan much longer what with the string of symphony concerts and events coming up. He had already left San Francisco far too early and had been staying in his hometown for much longer than he should. This had not been an everyday opportunity and he knew if he didn't focus on it, it would slip through his fingers rather quickly.

Leaning his head back against the wall, he sighed, his fingers twitching nervously in his lap. There were too many big decisions to make, too many feelings welling up inside him. Slowly closing his eyes, he let his thoughts overflow and cloud his mind, feeling it pull at his tired nerves and muscles. He knew he should be wide awake and waiting on any news about Ichigo, but the fatigue surrounding him was pulling him down into an abyss of dreams.

* * *

Inoue hummed to herself next to Grimmjow as she read the lines of text in the new romance novel she bought. It was so intriguing, talking about an innocent woman who fell in love with a monster with large green eyes and big bat like wings. She unconsciously took a bite of the egg roll she previously tried to give Grimmjow, her eyes wide and flicking back and forth across the pale colored paper.

"Wow," she mumbled as she turned the page. She was only a few pages into the book and it was already becoming a good read. All of a sudden a sound interrupted her publication adventure and she set the book down and she gazed out in front of her. The sound was soft at first, but the music began to grow louder and louder until it stopped completely. Waiting for a moment, Inoue didn't hear it again and shrugged before going back to her book. Not even ten minutes later the sound went off again and she detected it coming from next to her, somewhere in Grimmjow's vicinity. Narrowing her eyes, she listened for a while until it stopped again.

"What is that?" She looked down and the sound blared to life again and this time she noticed the colorful blue light emitting from Grimmjow's light grey sweatpants. She whispered a quiet "oh" before looking up and seeing the tired display on the man's face.

Orihime worried about waking Grimmjow. The blunet looked so peaceful slumped in the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair. His phone had been ringing non-stop, not even waking him a bit. She couldn't find it in here to bother such a serene look. The dark circles under his eyes were such an ugly thing and she knew if anyone of them needed sleep more it was him. But the phone. It just kept ringing and ringing, playing some soothing piano song that she had never heard.

"G-Grimmjow-san…" The man didn't even twitch when she called his name and she wondered if she should shake him. "Grimmjow-san, your phone is ringing," she repeated, slowly pushing against his shoulder. Frowning as he didn't move, she looked down at one of the uneaten egg rolls and pulled it out. Placing it under his nose, she hoped this would work like it usually did on television. Inoue waved it, letting the smell waft against the man's nose and smiled when his eyes started moving from behind his eyelids.

They slowly opened, blurry with sleep and gazed down at the infuriating smell waking him from his dreams. Eye's instantly wide, Grimmjow reeled back, hitting his lower back against the metal chair arm and groaning in pain.

"Oh! S-Sorry, Grimmjow-san! I-I was trying to wake you up a-and your phone was ringing and you wouldn't wake up and it just kept ringing and ringing and ring-"

"It's fine, Orihime," Grimmjow said off-handedly, rubbing his lower back. His cell phone announced itself again as if to let Grimmjow know Inoue wasn't lying and the blunet sighed, pulling the small device out of his pants.

He gazed down at the caller id and cursed under his breath, before excusing himself. Pressing the answer button, he stilled himself for impending doom. Or maybe a chew out.

" **Byakuya** ," he answered, his voice still somewhat heavy with sleep.

" **Grimmjow** ," the man replied, his voice sounding slightly annoyed. Grimmjow knew he was probably on the dark haired man's bad side for being gone for so long. He wished he could feel angry about Byakuya's unfeeling attitude, but right now he needed to save his job and that called for some major ass kissing.

" **Look, I'm really sorry about-** "

" **How is Kurosaki?** " The question totally caught the blunet off guard and he found himself dumbstruck on what to say. As if sensing the confusion, Byakuya sighed. " **My sister has been calling non-stop telling me to give you a break because of Kurosaki's predicament. I find that utterly silly though since that boy will be back on his feet in no time.** "

"… **W-What do you mean?** " Byakuya could only sigh again. This man was almost as idiotic as Renji.

" **Do you know how many times Kurosaki has gotten himself into trouble? It follows him around like a shadow. He would never let anything keep him down for too long. He is like his late father always trying to battle things he has no business battling and trying harder than anyone else to do things.** "

Grimmjow didn't even realize Byakuya had known Ichigo's parents, but he could hear something close to endearment in the man's deep voice. It was shocking to hear the man talk about anything so fondly. Even music.

" **You and Renji are worrying yourself way too much. I insist you two stop before you kill yourselves and then I will be lost of a pianist and a loud mouth who I find quite hilarious at times.** " Grimmjow found himself chuckling at that. He still didn't understand where this conversation had gone to, but it was nice to hear Byakuya speak so highly about a man who he detested (at least that's what Renji told him).

" **Yeah whatever you say,** " Grimmjow responded.

" **Now, on a more serious note. You need to push your troubles aside and come back to work. I think you have been gone for far too long and it making us both look bad, me more because I was the one that brought you in.** "

" **I really don't know if I can come back before I know exactly is wrong with Ichigo.** "

" **Mr. Jeagerjaques,** " Byakuya started and Grimmjow could tell he was beginning to rattle the man's nerves. " **Don't try my patience. I understand how you are feeling, but sometimes you need to choose for what is best for you. Do you want to give up your dream for someone you** **know** **is going to pull through?** "

" **But I don't know-** "

" **You do,** " Byakuya responded coolly. " **Stop being so unsure. You are never this way in front of the piano.** "

It was true. Grimmjow was overconfident when he was playing the piano. He knew nothing could go wrong and everything was right in the world when the music flowed. He couldn't understand why that confidence wasn't following him wherever he needed it.

"… **You're right, but I need to let Ichigo know about this.** "

" **If you must then do it, but I don't want a month to pass by and you still haven't made it back to San Francisco.** " Grmmjow nodded and said his goodbyes before ending the call and leaning back against the wall he was standing near. Closing his eyes, he thought about how he would feel about leaving Ichigo alone again. It hit him right in the heart and he worried that something else would happen in the timeframe of his absence. Ichigo would want him to go. The man he'd come to love would want him to follow his dreams.

So was he ready after such a great ordeal? After the misfortune that rocked both his and Ichigo's world? He sighed and ran his hands down his face. It was just another complicated decision he had to make. All by himself.


End file.
